Winterhold's Finest
by airofdarkness
Summary: A new student enrolls in the College of Winterhold. Little does he know that he is destined for great things, not just for the College but for all of Skyrim. Follow the adventures of Revan Midley as he journeys to Winterhold to learn more about his latent magical abilities. Once there, he will find friends, adventure, tragedy, and a chance for romance.
1. A Promise to Keep

Hey everyone, like many of you out there, i am a HUGE fan of Skyrim. After playing countless hours of it, i decided to check out some of the fan fiction that people have written. I was quickly inspired to write my own piece of fiction, which you will get to shortly.

This will be a full story, encompassing the College of Winterhold questline, but with some tweaks of my own design (for the most part). I wanted to keep the basic feel that Besthesda created intact, while still making it my own. Hope you all enjoy, and please leave any feedback, good bad or otherwise. I greatly appreciate it.

Legal Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was created by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. I am merely documenting my personal experiences and how i envision the game being improved in my head.

UPDATE: I've heard from a couple of people that they don't like how I didn't separate the conversations in the story. It was an oversight on my part due to my inexperience as a writer. I will go back soon and fix what i can, but in the meantime, please do not judge the story on that alone. I have fixed most of these issues in the newer chapters.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 1: A Promise to Keep**

"All out for Whiterun, last stop!" the carriage driver shouted. Sitting not far behind the driver, Revan Midley began gathering his belongings to disembark. _Finally made it_, he thought as he looked around; _Skyrim_. As the carriage slowly came to a stop, the driver said, "Here we are folks, Whiterun. Head up the path there to get to the main gate." Revan stepped out of the carriage, and as he did tossed the driver a small bag of septims. "Thank you sir." the driver said, as he got the carriage moving again, "Safe travels!"

Revan surveyed the surrounding scenery with mild awe. "You can see for miles," he said to himself; "What a view the Jarl must have up in his palace." Revan then turned and began walking up the path to the gate. As he walked, he tried to remember some of the things he had read about Skyrim, and Whiterun in particular. He remembered reading that Whiterun was originally discovered by Ysgramor and his Five Hundred Companions, who eventually made it their home. _It certainly looks like it's been around that long_, Revan thought. The walls, ancient and crumbling, had certainly seen better days. But all in all, the city still looked very impressive, with the Jarl's palace perched on top of the hill that the city had been built on.

As Revan reached the main gate, one of the guards posted in front of it walked up to him. "Name?" he asked in a bored tone of voice. "Revan Midley, sir." "And what brings you to Whiterun, Mister Midley; You another refugee?" Revan tensed up a bit at the guard's thinly veiled insulting tone; he knew he was talking about the Red Year and the Eruption of the Red Mountain, covering much of Morrowind in ash and smoke. With much of the land now uninhabitable, many Dunmer had fled to other provinces. "No sir, I'm not a refugee. I'm just stopping for the night on my way to the College of Winterhold."

Even though he had a helmet on, Revan could imagine the guard rolling his eyes. "Oh, another of you lot," he said with a sneer. "Well, you keep your magics to yourself, or there'll be trouble. Understand?" "Perfectly sir." Revan replied. The guard just grunted, and then turned to open the gate. "Enjoy your stay, Elf." Revan walked into the city, trying to pretend he hadn't heard the not-so-subtle insult.

Not sure of where to go next, Revan glanced around and saw another guard posted not far inside the city. _Hope this one is a little friendlier_, Revan thought. He approached the guard, a bit cautiously, and when he was close enough, he said, "Excuse me; it's my first time here in Whiterun." "Ah, well, welcome then, sir Elf. What are you looking for?" the guard said in a pleasant tone. "I was hoping to find a place to get something to eat, and to rest tonight." Revan replied. "If that's so," said the guard, "you'll want the Bannered Mare, up the street here, past the market stalls. Can't miss it."

"Thank you sir," Revan replied; "You were much more helpful than the guard outside the gate." The guard shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid you'll find that's pretty normal here in Skyrim. A lot of people either fought in the Great War, or lost friends and family because of it. Most Nords these days look down on Elves in general, Altmer or not. Myself, I try to have an open mind as much as possible." Revan made that a mental note; "I'll definitely bear that in mind. Thanks again." The guard nodded, and Revan turned to head up the street.

By now, night was setting in, and with it a distinct chill to the air. Shivering slightly, Revan walked briskly up the steps of the Bannered Mare and pushed the door open. Instantly, a wave of heat washed over him, and he quickly rushed inside, closing the door behind him. "Welcome friend," said the woman behind the counter, "Just stoked the fire. Take a seat and warm up. I'll send someone over in a minute."

Revan took a seat at one of the tables along the wall. Shortly after, a pretty Redguard woman came up to him. "What can I get you, handsome?" she asked. "An ale and some of that stew I smell please, and I'd like a room for the night if you have one." The woman nodded. "We do have one available; it's yours for the night. Once you've finished your meal, I can take you to it."

Revan ate in silence, savoring the warmth of the stew. Across the room, a fight seemed to be brewing between 2 Nords, and sure enough as Revan looked on, a brawl started. After a couple of minutes, a heavily armored Nord woman emerged victorious. Revan chuckled to himself about the foolishness of the whole thing, but made a point to avoid eye contact with the woman afterwards.

Revan finished his stew and took a last swig of ale. By now, his eyelids were quite heavy, and the thought of sleeping for several hours was very inviting. The Redguard woman, noticing he was finished, came over to collect his empty bowl and bottle. "Feel better? If you follow me, I'll show you to your room." Revan got up and followed behind the woman. She lead him upstairs to his room, and left to allow him privacy.

Revan opened the wardrobe, took off his rucksack, and placed inside. After closing the door, he removed his quiver and leaned it against the wardrobe along with his bow. He then unbuckled his sword belt, and as he did so, his gaze met the hilt of the sword. It had been a gift from his father on his 18th birthday. They had spent many days out in the back area behind his father's shop, practicing with sword and bow. His father had shown Revan everything he knew, and once he could teach no more, he even hired a trainer to continue the lessons.

Revan's mind wandered back to a particular session of archery training, and they were having a friendly competition, the goal being to shoot an apple off the top of a target. "Remember son, patience is the key to an accurate shot." His father used to say, as he hit the apple for the umpteenth time.

Thinking back to those times brought a small lump to Revan's throat, and he felt his eyes growing moist. _Miss you Dad. _Wiping his eyes, Revan quickly disrobed and crawled into the bed. _This time tomorrow, I'll be in Winterhold. I'll make you proud Dad, I promise._


	2. The End of a Journey

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. As I said, this story will encompass the entire College of Winterhold questline, but with my own twists and additions along the way. These first few chapters are and will be a bit boring, and I apologize for that, but I really want this story to be fleshed out and detailed; I don't want to feel like I need to cram everything into a few chapters.

Before you get into the story though, I would like to thank two people in particular. First, my editor/main critic/best friend Tom. Thanks for all you've done buddy. Definitely helps to have a different set of eyes review my work before it goes public.

And second is my first reviewer, Valerianus. Your review really helped set the mood for my writing these past couple of days, and your uncanny ability to read my mind is part fascinating, part disturbing (I leave you to figure out my meaning).

Anyway, onto chapter 2! As always, please feel free to leave any comments, positive, negative, neutral, anything that you want me to know. It really helps in improving the story and my writing in general.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 2:**

The next morning, Revan awoke feeling very well rested. _A bit later than I would have liked, but I should still have plenty of time _he thought as he looked out of the window. He got up and slowly stretched, and as he did so his eyes fell once more on the bow and sword his father had given him. His father wanted Revan to be happy, and he tried to give him everything he could. But when Revan began displaying his potential skill with magic, his father knew he would need to look elsewhere for training. _It's been a long time coming, but I'm going to make you proud Dad, one way or another. _

With that, Revan picked up his sword belt, strapped it on, and then grabbed his quiver of arrows. He slung it over his shoulder and tightened the strap across his chest, which also held his dagger in place. Once that was set, he opened the wardrobe and took out his rucksack. He put it on, making sure his quiver was still accessible, and grabbed his bow still leaning against the wardrobe. At last, with everything set, he opened the door and slowly made his way downstairs. He wasn't sure who might be up yet, so he thought it best to be as quiet as possible.

No one else appeared to be awake, but the innkeeper was behind the counter cleaning a line of mugs and glasses. "Heading out, sir Elf?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm leaving today. Thank you for your excellent hospitality. How much do I owe you for the room?" The woman smiled. "It's 10 gold for the room, but I'll throw in a couple of breakfast pastries for you. I get the sense that you'll be traveling for a while yet, so it'll be easier for you to carry."

Taking out a small bag of gold, Revan counted out the septims, and handed them to the woman. "Thanks again. I appreciate everything. If I'm in the area again someday, I'll definitely stop by." Revan turned and walked to the door. "Safe travels" the woman called after him. With a wave, Revan opened the door and stepped out of the inn.

Though still early, the sun was already up and shining. Revan made his way back down the street and out of the main gate. As he stepped outside of Whiterun, he passed the guard who had questioned him the night before. The guard was clearly asleep at his post, with his head bowed as if in prayer. Suddenly feeling quite devilish, Revan raised his hand and concentrated. He felt it grow cold as a shard of ice formed in his grasp. When it was ready, he launched the shard at the wall behind the guard. It hit with a loud crack and shattered into pieces, causing the guard to jerk awake and almost trip over his own feet.

After regaining his footing, the guard looked around and saw Revan standing in front of him with mist coming from his hand. "Wha? Who…why you little", but before he could finish, he immediately straightened to attention. Revan turned around and saw a man walking from the direction of the drawbridge.

"What's going on here?" the man asked as he approached. "Nothing, Commander Caius sir." The guard stammered. Caius glared at the guard. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to our mage here." Revan bowed his head as he said "My apologies Commander. I was simply making sure that the guards of Whiterun remain alert at their posts." As he spoke, he could feel the guard glaring daggers at his back, but he was much more concerned with keeping a straight face.

"Is that so? Well, thank you for your concern sir mage. It will definitely be noted. Now, I must ask you to please move along." Revan bowed to the commander. "Of course Commander, I shall be on my way. Thank you." Revan walked away from the pair, and when he got out of earshot, let out a small chuckle. _Hope he learns a lesson from that. _He passed two more guards after crossing the drawbridge. "Saw what you did there. Certainly gave us a laugh. Don't think Hroth will be doing that again anytime soon. Stay safe sir" said one of the guards as he passed. Revan nodded in response and continued down the path.

When he reached the bottom of the hill, he turned and took one last look at Whiterun. Although his time here had been brief, he liked the city. _Maybe one day, I'll come back. Who knows, maybe I'll end up living here someday. Stranger things have happened. _Looking away, he walked over to the carriage driver stationed near the stables.

"Good day sir. I can take you just about anywhere you'd like to go. Where you off to?" he asked. "How much to get to Winterhold by this evening?" Revan asked. The carriage driver thought a minute, before replying "Tell you what, since you're in a bit of a rush, how about 30 gold for the trip." "30 gold it is. Here you are" as Revan handed him the gold. "Climb in back and we'll get going." Said the driver.

Revan climbed in the back of the carriage and settled in for the journey. "Gittup there" said the driver to the horses, and the carriage started rolling. After a while, the driver looked back and asked "If you don't mind me asking, what's your business in Winterhold? I'm guessing from the look of you that you're heading to the College." Revan nodded. "I'm hoping to learn more about magic. It's probably the last place I can learn about it since the Mage's Guild was dissolved."

The driver nodded. "Yeah, I remember my grandfather told me stories about that time. How the Mage's Guild was used as a scapegoat of sorts after that Oblivion Crisis. 'Course, Winterhold's had its fair share of negative attention. I'm assuming you've heard of the Great Collapse?"

Revan shook his head. "I haven't actually. In fact, I don't really know much about the College to begin with. I'm not exactly from around here."

The driver nodded. "Oh aye, I kind of figured that from the way you're dressed. Take my advice: if you're planning on spending time in Winterhold, you might want to invest in some thicker clothing. You think its cold here; wait until you get up north a-ways. Especially at night, it's downright frigid. Anyway, as I was saying, the Great Collapse. Aye, it was a strange thing. No one's entirely sure what happened. Winterhold used to be one of the biggest cities in all of Skyrim; even rivaled Solitude, if that's possible. But sometime around the year 122, great chunks of the city just fell into the sea. O'course, everyone blamed the Mages, which they denied. Regardless of who did what, the city has never really recovered. Most of the people left in Winterhold are trying to get out. And the College is now seen as a blemish upon the once great city. Most folks wish they would just go away, the Mages. But you look like a nice enough fellow, so just be warned that you might not get a warm welcome. Anyway, I've babbled enough. We should be there in a few hours."

_Several hours later_

"We'll be in Winterhold in a couple of minutes. I'll drop you off right near the College." Revan stretched as much as he was able while still in the carriage; he had been sitting for several hours and was almost desperate to get out and stretch his legs. To distract from his discomfort, he looked around. It was almost sad to see the once great city now a mere shadow of its former self. He imagined it must be much worse for those who lived here, but it was clear that the city had suffered. _Maybe one day, it will return to its former glory. _"Here we are Mr. Midley. The College is across that bridge there, and there's an inn down the street. Other than that, not much else to see."

Revan stepped down from the carriage, a bit stiffly, and started walking towards the College bridge. "Good luck!" the driver shouted after him. Revan turned and waved as the horses started moving again. Turning back, he saw at the entrance of the bridge was a High Elf woman. _Well, here goes nothing _Revan thought as he approached. As he got closer, the woman looked at him and said, "Cross the bridge at your own peril. The way is dangerous and the gate will not open."

_To be continued…_


	3. Acceptance

Hey everyone, so sorry for the long delay between chapters. I had originally wanted to post this on Friday, but some things came up and so i pushed it back to Monday, which had more conflicts (damn you, Monday Night Football). But without further ado, here is chapter 3. I promise things will start picking up soon, so stay tuned.

As always, feel free to leave any feedback, good bad or otherwise.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 3: Acceptance**

"Cross the bridge at your own peril. The way is dangerous and the gate will not open. You shall not gain entry."

"My name is Revan Midley, and I would like to enter the College so I can learn more about magic." Revan replied.

"Is that so?" the woman said. "You want something from the College, but the real question is what can you offer the College? If you really wish to enter, I will need to give you a few small tests."

Revan considered for a moment. _Too late to back out now _he thought. "I will take any test you give me." Revan said. The woman gave a small smile and nodded.

"That is a good sign. Now, if you could come over here and stand on the College seal right here, you will have your first test" the woman said, indicating the ground in front of her. A large seal was engraved into the ground, shaped like a five-pointed star with a large eye in the middle. Revan walked over and stood in the middle of the seal. When he did so, it began to glow a bluish color and hummed quietly. "Yes, excellent. You definitely have talent for magic, that much is clear. You may step off the seal now."

Revan moved back to the edge of the stairs, and the glow around the seal vanished. "It would seem you do have something to offer the College. Apologies, fellow mage" the woman said as she bowed her head. "We've had some, lets say, difficulties with the locals recently. We just needed to make sure you had good intentions. Now Mr. Midley, what is it you wish to learn at the College?"

"I wish only to learn more about magic. I've only known about my abilities for a few years now, and I never really received any actual training. Most of what I know is from reading books and observing others."

The woman nodded. "Yes, I was that much was apparent when you stepped on the seal. You see, it measures your raw levels of magicka as well as your potential to channel the energy necessary to cast magic and to control that energy. I was able to see that you have enormous potential as a mage, but you currently lack the focus necessary to control it entirely. A perfect reason to be at the College, if I do say so. I think you'll fit right in."

The woman thought for a minute, then said "In your case, I think the rest of the tests are not necessary. You show a true willingness to learn, and you have the potential to be a very powerful mage if you control your powers. Please, head up the path here and across the bridge. Once across, you will be in the College itself. Look for Mirabelle Ervine, our Master Wizard. She will show you around and get you settled." She then smiled. "Welcome to the College of Winterhold Revan. Good luck."

Thanking the woman, Revan made his way along the path and across the bridge, trying very hard not to notice that it was extremely worn and parts had fallen into the sea below. He crossed without incident however, and found himself facing the gate, just like woman said.

The gate looked ancient, but yet it still stood. Countless others had passed through them, and with luck, countless more would do so. As Revan got close, the gates slowly creaked open. As there seemed to be no mechanism to operate them, Revan guessed they had some magical properties, probably opening when they sensed magicka.

Once through the gates, Revan was standing in the College proper. He looked around the large circular courtyard. In the center, standing several times his height, was a statue of a powerful looking mage, his arms spread wide and robes flapping in the wind. _Certainly a dramatic image, but it gets the point across _Revan thought. Directly in front of the great statue was what looked like a well, but instead of water, Revan saw a swirling blue mist, and from the center a pillar of light rose into the air, at least several hundred feet Revan guessed. Spread around the rest of the courtyard were several trees and some bushes. Most of the trees were barren, but the biggest not only was covered in leaves but had a trunk a couple feet thick. _Might be a good place to set up an archery target later, if they'll allow it _Revan thought.

Revan walked around the base of the mage statue, and saw a woman sitting on a bench next to the great double doors of the main hall. She was appeared to be engrossed in the book on her lap, but as Revan approached, she said "You must be our new apprentice." Slightly startled that she already knew of him, he asked "How did you know that? I only just arrived." The woman looked up at him and said "As soon as you set foot on the bridge, we became aware of your presence. A bit of added security I'm afraid. The locals don't think very highly of us. No incidents as of yet, but the Arch-Mage doesn't want to take any chances. Anyway, enough about that. What is your name?"

"Revan Midley," Revan replied.

"Well, welcome to the College of Winterhold, Mr. Midley. I'm Mirabelle Ervine, the College's Master Wizard. Let me give you a quick tour of the campus, and then I'll show you where you will be staying." She stood up and beckoned him to follow.

Over the next half hour, Revan was shown around the entire College grounds. The Hall of Elements, where lectures were held and the mages could practice their spells. The Arcaneum library, where row upon row of bookshelves held thousands of books on just about every subject. As Mirabelle and Revan were leaving, the old librarian, Urag gro-shub, made it very clear what would happen if he did not treat the books with the utmost care. In Urag's words: 'If you so much as crease a single corner on one of the books, you will be torn apart by several angry Atronachs.' At first, Revan thought he must have been joking. But the look in Urag's eye made Revan quickly change his mind.

After the Arcaneum, Revan was led back outside. After crossing the courtyard, they came to a door. "This is the Hall of Attainment. Here is where you will be staying. You'll be sharing this area with your fellow apprentices. We ask that you be as quiet as possible while in the dorms, as students may be working on experiments or studying. Any questions?"

"No ma'am, not right now" Revan said.

"Excellent. Well, this will be your room. Everything here is free for you to use. You'll find a set of robes in the wardrobe there. You are not required to wear them, but you may find them more comfortable both for your studies and for the weather. If you have any questions or need anything, please let one of our senior members know."

Revan opened the wardrobe and took out the robes. "Standard robes for College apprentices. They'll help you cast spells easier. Great for learning spells and practicing them." Mirabelle said. Revan laid them on the bed and placed his rucksack inside.

"Where are the other apprentices?" Revan asked.

"We have a few more enrolled this term, but you are the first one to get here. The term doesn't start for another few days anyway, so you'll have some time to yourself. Feel free to use the mage lights located around the grounds for spell practice, and if you wish, you may use the big tree out in the courtyard for archery practice. Just make sure you are careful with it, or there will be problems. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am. Don't worry, I'll be careful" Revan said.

"I'm sure you will be. Now, I'm sure you're tired from your journey. I'll leave you to get some rest. Your fellow apprentices should start arriving over the next couple of days." With that, she turned and left the room. Alone at last, Revan moved the robes to the chair and unbuckled his weapon belts. _I'll unpack tomorrow when I'm not so tired. Maybe I'll take a walk around Winterhold and see what there is to see._ With that, Revan disrobed and got into bed, falling asleep soon after.

The next couple of days were uneventful. Revan would wake up early and take a walk into Winterhold. He soon discovered that there wasn't much to the city, if it could still be called that. The only notable buildings were the inn and the Jarl's Longhouse. The former was nice enough, considering the circumstances, and Revan had little reason to visit the latter. So for the most part, Revan spent his time out in the areas around Winterhold, usually trying to hone his archery skills by clearing out some of the local wolves. He even got some practice with his magic on a couple close calls, when a wolf would get too close for a bow. When he wasn't out in the wild, he was in the College courtyard, shooting the target he had set up on a bale of hay under the large tree.

It was during one of his practice sessions that he heard new voices coming from the bridge. _Finally, some company _he thought as he readied his next shot. He was just about to release the string when he heard his name being shouted from the main gate.

"Revan Midley?! What are you doing out here?" shouted a Redguard from the gate. Revan turned and his jaw almost hit the ground.

"Tom? Is that you?" Revan asked uncertainly. As the Redguard approached, Revan could see it was indeed Tom, his old childhood friend. "Tom! I haven't seen you in years. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, I asked first. It's good to see you, my friend. It's been, what, almost 10 years now? By the Nine, I never thought I'd see you again. What are you doing here at the College?"

"I'm fulfilling the promise I made at my dad's funeral. I promised myself I would learn magic, anyway I could. This is the best place now, and I finally made it here. And what are you doing here? I thought your parents didn't like the idea of magic?"

Tom suddenly looked down, and Revan understood. "They're dead. Died last year. The guards said it was disease, but I don't believe it, especially since I never saw their bodies. 'Too dangerous, don't want it to spread', they said. But I think it was the Thalmor. You remember how vocal they were about their oppression?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah, I remember. They had quite a following too, as I recall. Did the rest of them 'get sick' too?" Tom nodded. "Thought so, that's the same line they tried on me, but luckily, Samuel told me the truth. How is he, by the way?"

"Dunno." Tom replied. "He left the city a few months before my parents died. Haven't seen or heard from him since. It's a shame, really. One of the few city guards not in the Thalmor's pocket. Bastards." Tom shook his head. "Anyway, enough about that. We're here now and that's what matters." He gestured to the Nord standing behind him. "This is Onmund. He and I have been on the same carriage for the past week, and since no one wanted to talk to us, we talked to each other."

Onmund smiled and held out a hand, which Revan shook. "Nice to meet you. Tom told me a few stories during the trip here, so it's nice to actually meet you in person."

Revan laughed. "Hope you didn't tell him everything Tom. Some things are not meant for mortal ears."

Tom laughed as well at this. "Don't worry, I didn't tell him any of the GOOD stories; just enough to pass the time. We'll share some later Onmund, when you're ready."

"I'll hold you to that." Onmund said. "Anyway, we were told to find Mirabelle Ervine. Where is she?"

Revan pointed towards the Hall of the Elements. "Last I saw, she was inside there with a couple of the senior members. She might still be there. If not, I can always show you around."

"We'll let you know." Tom said. "But at the very least, we need to sit down and catch up. It's been far too long and I'm sure you have plenty of interesting stories to tell."

Revan shrugged. "Nothing that would make for a good read, but I have a few adventures I can tell you about. Come find me later and we'll talk." Revan said as he turned back to his target and strung another arrow.

Tom nodded. "You got it. We'll leave you alone for now; don't want to get in the way of your grudge match with that bale of hay." He said with a chuckle as he and Onmund started walking towards the Hall of the Elements. Revan shook his head as he lined up his shot. _This just got a whole lot more interesting. Should be fun _he thought as he released the string and the arrow embedded itself in the center of the target. _Should be fun…_


	4. Wards 101

Hey everyone, the wait is over.

Finally, a chapter with some action. Not much, but hopefully it will hold you for a while. This one was fun to write, though it ended up being WAY longer than originally intended. I had tossed around the idea of splitting it up into 2 pieces, but in the end i decided to keep it together. Please let me know if you like having these longer chapters, or if you prefer shorter ones. And as always, please leave any and all feedback, as it is greatly appreciated.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 4: Wards 101**

The last couple of days, in contrast to earlier in the week, had passed in a blur for Revan. Now that he had been reunited with his best childhood friend, life finally felt good. Revan had been on his own for much of his life since his father died and he left Cyrodiil; he had almost forgotten what it was like to have good friends. He and Onmund were also fast becoming good friends, which only made things better. It felt good to be able to make new friends after so many years.

With their first lessons due to start in a day's time, Revan wondered whether more apprentices would arrive. His question was answered later that night, as he was getting ready for bed. He was finishing his night preparations when he heard the Hall's door open and voices shortly after. After listening, he recognized Mirabelle's voice. But who was she talking to?

Curiosity getting the better of him, Revan got up from his chair and poked his head out of his room. He saw Mirabelle and a stranger standing across the common room. He couldn't see the newcomer's face, but when Mirabelle saw him, she beckoned him over.

"Revan, I didn't realize you were still awake. I'd like you to meet another of your fellow apprentices."

The newcomer turned around, and Revan was surprised to see a Dunmer female. Her hood was up, so he hadn't known from looking at her back. As Revan walked up to them, she turned and bowed her head slightly. "Brelyna Maryon of House Telvanni." she said in a soft voice.

Revan gave a short bow in return. "Revan Midley, at your service." he said. As he stood there looking at her, he couldn't help but notice that she was quite pretty. She was obviously very young, probably near his age. Her skin wasn't so much grey as blue, and her eyes were a sparkling ruby color.

Mirabelle gestured Brelyna over to her room. "This will be your room. Everything in it is free for you to use. You'll find a spare set of robes in the wardrobe, but I see you are already prepared in that regard. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Now, I'm sure you are tired from your journey, and your first lessons start tomorrow, so you should get some rest. Good night, Miss Maryon. You too, Mr. Midley."

"Good night." they both said in unison. Mirabelle turned and walked out of the Hall, and Brelyna walked into her room. Revan started to follow, hoping to ask a question, but thought it best to knock first.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were still there." Brelyna said as she continued to put her belongings away in the wardrobe.

"I was hoping to ask you a question, if you don't mind." Revan replied.

Brelyna turned to face him and let out a sigh. "Before you ask, yes, I do have an ancestry steeped in magic. No, I don't want to talk about it. Yes, I know that Winterhold used to be full of Dunmer, and no, I really don't care that they are all gone now. Does that answer your question?"

Revan was taken aback by this. "Well, that's, uh, not quite what I was expecting."

Brelyna blushed slightly at this and bowed her head. "I'm sorry; I'm so used to people judging me before they even get to know me. I've lived under the shadows of others for so long now."

Revan nodded in understanding. "I would guess that you're referring to your House? I've read quite a bit about House Telvanni, so I can see why people might judge you. Personally, I think it's fascinating. I never thought I would meet someone from one of the most powerful Houses in Morrowind."

Brelyna's blush faded slightly, and she raised her head a bit to look at Revan. "Thanks for that, I guess. It's nice to meet someone who won't judge me for what I should be." She smiled. "It's also nice to know I'm not the only Dunmer here." She sat down on the edge of her bed. "So, what brings you to the College, Revan?"

She seemed more at peace now, and Revan smiled. "I'm here just to learn about magic. I've been able to use it for several years now, but I never had any sort of training in it beyond my own trial and error sessions. This is the best place to learn magic these days. What about you?"

Brelyna's smile disappeared a bit at this. "My parents saved a spot for me here the day I was born, or so I've heard. It wouldn't surprise me in the least. They were always pushing me to learn more, perhaps too far." she said as she shook her head. "I just want to learn what I can. I don't want others setting goals for me."

Revan reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "No one is judging you here, least of all me. You're probably a far better mage than me already, and you'll only get better as you learn more. That's why the College is here; so you can learn at your own pace, not anyone else's."

Brelyna smiled again. "Thanks for that Revan. That helps a lot." she said. Suddenly, she let out a yawn. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't realize how tired I am. I've had quite a journey getting here."

Revan stepped back and nodded. "I felt the same way when I got here a few days ago. I'll leave you to get some sleep. Nice talking to you Brelyna" Revan said as he stepped back into the doorway.

Brelyna smiled again. "Nice talking to you too. I think we're going to be good friends. Good night, Revan." she said as Revan left the room.

As she got ready for bed, Brelyna continued to dwell on her conversation with Revan. _It's nice to finally meet someone who won't judge me for who I should be _she thought. _And it also helps that he's a fellow Dunmer. And quite handsome too. _She blushed at this. _What am I saying?! I just met him. I must just be tired. But still…_

As Revan was walking back to his room, he thought he heard footsteps behind him. He knew everyone else was either asleep or soon would be. _Except one. Maybe… _he thought. As he got to his room, he smiled and shook his head. "Alright Tom, you can be visible again."

He turned around to see Tom shimmer into view. "Damn it, how did you know I was invisible?" Tom said.

Revan chuckled. "You always used to do that when we were younger. We may not have seen each other in several years, but I still remember. Next time, you should use a Muffle spell."

Tom smacked his hand into his forehead. "Of course, I should have known. I had forgotten how good your hearing is. Next time, I'll get it right." He leaned against the doorway and grinned. "So, I see you're already making friends? Or is it more than that already?"

Revan flushed slightly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. We just met today." he said.

Tom laughed. "That's a pretty shade of pink you've got there Rev. Come on, we've known each other a long time. You can tell me anything." he said with a sly grin

Revan shook his head. "We're just friends, Tom. Honestly, I'm just glad to have another Dunmer apprentice here. It's nice to not be the only one."

"Alright, if you say so…" Tom said, not sounding completely convinced.

"It's late. We should get some sleep so we'll be ready for lessons tomorrow. Good night Tom." Revan said as he turned towards the wardrobe.

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Tom said, still with his sly grin.

Once he left the room, Revan was left with his thoughts. _What was Tom going on about? _ He thought. _Brelyna and I just met. We're just friends. _But even in his thoughts, Revan himself didn't sound truly convinced. He shook his head. _I can't focus on that now; got to get some sleep so I can be ready for tomorrow. _With that, he disrobed and climbed into bed. But even as sleep came over him, his thoughts were still on her. Her eyes, her voice, her smile. _Life at the College just got a lot more interesting._

_The next day_

The sun rose early the next morning, but the courtyard was still frigid. Revan quickly crossed the courtyard and entered the Hall of Elements. The warmth in the Hall was welcoming, and as he looked around, he saw a couple of his fellow apprentices practicing some basic spells. He recognized Onmund the Nord right away, but the other he hadn't seen before. As he got closer, he noticed the furry tail sticking out from the back of his robes. _A Khajiit _he thought as he walked up to the pair of mages.

"Good morning Revan" Onmund said as he cast a Sparks spell. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough, though a few more hours couldn't hurt." Revan replied. "A well cast spell, my friend."

The Khajiit turned to Revan. "If you think that is good, then watch J'Zargo cast his." he said as he fired his own spell.

"A good cast yourself." Onmund said.

"J'Zargo cast it, so it was bound to be." the Khajiit replied.

"You seem very sure of yourself, but if you think that was good, watch this." Onmund said as he fired off another spell.

And their impromptu competition continued, with both casting spells back and forth. Revan watched in mild amusement, and noted that for all of his boasting, J'Zargo did seem to be the more skilled of the two. He kept this knowledge to himself though. _His ego seems to be large enough. Don't need the College to collapse under its weight._

After a while, Revan heard the door open behind him. He turned, expecting to see their teacher, but was pleasantly surprised to see Brelyna and Tom. "Good morning, you two. Sleep well?"

"After the journey I've had, I could use a few more hours sleep, but I'll be fine." Brelyna replied with a small smile.

Tom walked up to J'Zargo and Onmund. "Having a little contest, are we? Alright, my turn." he said. His hand began to glow purple and all of a sudden, a transparent blue wolf appeared.

"A Conjuration expert, huh? Pretty cool Tom." Onmund reached for the wolf. "Is he friendly?"

Tom laughed. "Only as long as you don't threaten me. Go ahead, he likes his ears scratched. Don't you, Leekos?"

The wolf barked. "Leekos. That's a nice name" Onmund scratched the wolf's ears. "Certainly seems friendly enough. For a blue see-through wolf."

Tom looked to J'Zargo, who seemed to be keeping his distance. "Go ahead, he doesn't bite. Much." he said with a laugh.

"J'Zargo is not too fond of dogs. He will pass." he said, still giving the wolf a wary look.

The rest of the mages laughed at this. "I also have a bit of skill with Destruction magic. Shall we?" Tom said as he summoned a pair of fireballs in his hands.

And so their contest resumed, with each mage showing off their talents. Brelyna moved closer to Revan. "You're not going to join in? I'm sure you have some skill too."

Revan shook his head. "I think I'll leave them to their ego stroking. Besides, I'd like to see what they're capable of."

They watched together for a few more minutes before the Hall door opened once again. This time, an older man walked in. "Good morning everyone. Welcome to the College of Winterhold. I am Tolfdir, and I will be your teacher" he said. He looked at Onmund. "Onmund, correct?" Onmund nodded. "Well Onmund, that was a well cast Sparks spell. Good work."

Onmund smiled at this. "Thank you sir." J'Zargo's ears twitched and he looked expectantly towards Tolfdir, but when his praise didn't come, his face turned sour.

Tolfdir surveyed the five of them. "As I said before, welcome to the College of Winterhold. You have all shown a great aptitude for magic, and with some training, you will all be great mages someday. However, the first thing you must understand is that magic is volatile and dangerous if used incorrectly. You must control it, or it will destroy you."

"Sir, if I may, I think we all understand that concept fairly well. We came to the College because we CAN control magic; otherwise, we wouldn't be here."

Tolfdir nodded. "You do have a point Onmund. You all possess inherent magical abilities, that much is certain. What I'm talking about is true control of magic. Mastery, if you will. It takes years, if not decades of practice and study.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" J'Zargo interjected eagerly, perhaps too eagerly.

Tolfdir held up his hands. "Please, settle down, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Eagerness must be met with caution or else you are inviting disaster" he warned. "We don't want anything to happen to any of you."

Tom spoke up at this point. "We've only just arrived here. You haven't seen what any of us are capable of beyond what you saw earlier. Give us a chance, and we will show you what we can do."

Tolfdir turned to Brelyna and Revan. "You two have been quiet so far. What are your thoughts on this?"

Revan thought for a moment before answering. "I think you are right to be cautious, especially so we can avoid accidents" he said, but then gestured to Onmund, J'Zargo, and Tom. "But they all make good points. We all want to learn, and we already know the basics of controlling magic. Maybe it would be best to start with something practical, just to see where we stand and to prepare for what's to come."

Tolfdir nodded at this. "You do make a good argument. Alright then, we'll try something practical. However, we will continue with our theme of safety and start with wards. Wards, as I'm sure some of you are aware, are protective spells that can block magic. I'll teach you all a ward, and then we'll see if you can use it to block some spells. Ok?"

The apprentices nodded. "Excellent. Now, I'll need a volunteer." He turned towards Revan. "Since this was mostly your idea, would you mind helping me?"

Revan stepped forward. "I know a simple ward, but I don't have much practice with it." he admitted.

Tolfdir smiled. "That's quite alright. That is the purpose of this lesson after all. Now, if you'll stand just over there on that emblem, we can begin."

Revan moved over to the emblem and readied his ward. "Now, cast your ward and hold it for a few seconds" Tolfdir said. Revan activated the ward, and a shimmering wall of light appeared in front of him. He felt his body channeling his energy into the ward, and he held it for several seconds.

"Good, now hold it right there while I cast a firebolt at you. Just stand still and keep your ward up." Tolfdir said, as he prepared his own spell. When he was ready, he launched the firebolt at Revan. Fighting down his body's natural reaction to dive for cover, Revan stood his ground and held his ward up. The firebolt hit the shield and was absorbed by it. "Excellent! Good job!" Tolfdir exclaimed as Revan released the ward. "Very good. You seem to have a good understanding of your ward. Keep practicing and you'll be able to block just about any spell. Now, to finish today's lesson, I'd like you to split into pairs and practice with wards.

Tolfdir surveyed the apprentices for a moment. "Onmund and Tom, I'd like you two to work together. You can take that area of the Hall over there. Revan and Brelyna, please step over here and practice. And J'Zargo, since you are the odd one out, you and I will practice here. Now, please be careful with your spells; we don't want any accidents."

The mages split into their pairs. Onmund and Tom moved to the far side of the room and began practicing. J'Zargo and Tolfdir moved away to practice, leaving Revan and Brelyna space to cast. Revan looked over at Brelyna and could see she was extremely nervous. "So, uh, I'll go first?" he said.

Brelyna almost jumped when he spoke, and could only nod anxiously. She moved to stand across from Revan, and he could see that she was shaking slightly. "Just relax, ok? It's just practice. Nothing bad is going to happen." he said reassuringly, but she didn't respond. Revan raised his hand and felt the energy build, and the shimmering wall of magic appeared once more.

Brelyna, still appearing to be very nervous, created a firebolt in her hand. When it was ready, she launched it at Revan, who blocked it with his ward. _Hmm, there wasn't very much in that spell _he thought. _Is she really this nervous about practicing these simple spells? _His suspicions were confirmed when he readied his own firebolt. Brelyna raised her hand to activate her ward. But something didn't seem right. Revan started to call out a warning when there was a flash of purple light, and floating in front of Brelyna was a Flame Atronach, summoned from the plane of Oblivion. Shocked by its sudden appearance, Revan accidentally shot the firebolt at Brelyna. The bolt hit the Atronach, and sensing a threat, began to attack Revan.

Chaos erupted in the Hall as the Atronach launched multiple firebolts towards Revan, who was able to barely dive out of the way. From across the room, Onmund and Tom cast a volley of ice spikes while on the other side J'Zargo hit the Atronach with streams of lightning. The combined magical assault was too much, and the Atronach soon collapsed on the ground. Recognizing the danger, Revan moved from behind the pillar he had used as cover and ran towards Brelyna. "Move Brelyna, it's going to explode!" he shouted.

Brelyna, who had stood frozen in place during the fight, suddenly came to her senses and dove out of the way just as the Atronach exploded and sent fire out in all directions. All was silent as everyone looked at the pile of ashes.

Revan was the first to break the silence. "Well, that was certainly interesting. Is everyone ok?" The rest of the mages nodded, except Brelyna who seemed to be fighting for words.

"I'm…oh my….I'm so sorry. I….I mean….I….." she stammered. "Oh, I'm such a failure!" she wailed as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Before anyone could move or say anything, Brelyna ran out of the Hall, head in her hands. The doors slammed shut and silence fell once more as the stunned apprentices figured out what had just happened.

"Hold on, I'll go and talk to her." Revan said, and he walked quickly out of the Hall. _What happened back there? _he thought. _Why is she so upset about messing up a spell?_ He walked towards the dorms and stepped inside. After listening for a moment, he was able to hear faint sobs coming from one of the rooms. _ That's got to be her_.

Revan walked over to the door and hesitated. He wasn't quite sure how to handle this without making things worse. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. "Brelyna? It's me, Revan. Can I come in?" he said.

At first, Revan thought she might not have heard him, but as he was about to knock again, the door slowly opened. "What do you want?" Brelyna said, still crying slightly.

"Just to talk. Can I come in?" Revan said. After hesitating, she moved away from the door so he could enter. "Thanks." He said as he took a seat in the chair. Brelyna moved over to the bed, still sniffling quietly. "What happened out there?" he said gently.

Brelyna looked him. "Why do you care?" She spat, sounding bitter. "Why does it matter? At least you know the difference between a ward and a conjuration spell. I was a complete idiot."

"You're not an idiot Brelyna," Revan replied gently. "It was just a simple mistake. It's not something you should be taking so hard."

"Are you kidding?! I should have been able to cast the ward with no problems, but I screwed it up," She yelled. "A child could have done far better than I did. I'm clearly wasting my time here. They won't want a failure like me." With that, she began sobbing anew.

_Well, this isn't going well _Revan thought. _She shouldn't be this upset. Something else is going on here, but what?_

His thoughts were cut short though as Brelyna continued. "I appreciate you coming to try to talk to me, but what's the point? I'm no mage; I'm nothing but a failure. That's what they would say…."

The realization hit Revan like a boulder. _Of course! Her family! The Telvanni are known to be powerful wizards. She must be trying to live up to them._ Choosing his words carefully, Revan spoke. "You mean your family, don't you?" She stopped shaking at this and looked up slightly. "That's why you see yourself as a failure, isn't it? Because they would say the same thing."

She had stopped sobbing again, and her eyes were fiery now. "They were always telling me how great they are, and how I'd probably never meet their expectations." she said in a sour tone.

Still treading carefully, Revan thought how best to respond. "Honestly Brelyna, if they expect you to be as great as them, you will never satisfy them. But that's completely unfair and unrealistic. You can only be as good as you can be, no matter what the expectations are."

Brelyna considered what Revan had said, gazing into his eyes. After one last sniff, she stood up from her bed, her back straight. Her eyes changed, from dismay to a hard resolve. Her new determination was surprising. "You're right Revan, I can only be as good as I can be. I think deep down I knew that, but I couldn't face it." She smiled at him. "I guess I just needed someone to bring me to my senses. Thank you."

Revan returned her smile. "You're welcome. As someone who frequently needs to be brought to his senses, I know exactly what you mean." Brelyna laughed at this, which was a good sign. Revan continued, "Besides, that was a great bit of conjuration. I was never very good at it; I was always a bit envious of Tom to be honest. You're going to be a great mage Brelyna, if you believe in yourself."

Her smile grew wider. "Thanks Revan. I did always like that one. I'm glad to have a friend like you to help me think straight."

It suddenly felt very hot in the room, at least to Revan, who could feel his face redden. "Well, uh, I just…uh…I just did my best." he said, looking down.

"That's more than enough for me Revan." Brelyna said, smiling still, which caused Revan to blush further. "Come on; let's get back to the Hall. I'm sure the others are waiting for us."

Grateful for the chance to look away, Revan held the door for Brelyna as the two of them crossed the courtyard back to the Hall of Elements. Once back inside, they were greeted by their fellow apprentices.

"Brelyna! You had us a bit worried. Are you alright?" Tolfdir asked in a concerned voice.

Brelyna nodded and looked resolute. "I'm ok now. I'm terribly sorry for the mess I caused. I wasn't thinking straight earlier. I've had my standards set too high and I panicked. But no longer; I just want to learn what I can, and not try to be something I'm not."

Tolfdir nodded, smiling. "That's exactly why you are here, my dear. That's why all of you are here as a matter of fact. You are all still young, still learning how to control your power. You will all be as great as you can be, no matter what anyone else thinks. Now, I think we've all had enough excitement for one day. Let's end the lesson here for today. For next time, I would like you to all find out a way to break through a ward spell. I will see you in all in two days."

With that, the group went their separate ways. "Hey Rev, you wanna head down to the Frozen Hearth for a drink? Onmund, J'Zargo, and I are going in a few minutes." Tom called out.

"I'll catch up with you in a bit." Revan replied. Tom shrugged and walked out of the Hall.

Revan turned to Brelyna. "Feel better now that this whole thing is over?"

She smiled again. "Yes, much better now. All thanks to you Revan."

_It's very warm in here too. Must be from all the firebolts we cast earlier _Revan thought as he felt his cheeks flush again. "Um, you're welcome. I didn't really do that much, to be honest. You just needed someone to listen and talk to."

"Well, I'm glad it was you. My head wasn't clear and you were there to help. So thank you again." She replied, still smiling.

"Not a problem…." Revan mumbled. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "So, uh, would you like to join us at the Frozen Hearth? I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

"Yes, I'd like that. After what happened today, I could use a break." She started to walk away, but turned around again. "Oh, why not?" she said as she walked up to Revan and hugged him. "Thanks again, Rev." she said with a laugh. "I actually like it."

"Uh, thanks." Revan said, looking down slightly again. "Tom used to call me that when we were younger."

"You two were friends before?" she asked. "How long have you known each other?"

"I'm not entirely sure, because I don't really remember ever not knowing Tom. But we haven't seen each other in several years, not since I left Cyrodiil." He said, his face showing some pain.

Picking up on that, Brelyna decided now wasn't the time. "Well, I'm sure you have quite a lot of stories. You'll need to tell me sometime. Anyway, we should get down to the Frozen Hearth. Don't want the rest of them to drink all the mead."

Revan laughed at that, his good mood back. "Yeah, especially Tom. He may be on the small side, but he can drink just about anyone under the table. Shall we?" gesturing towards the door.

Brelyna smiled. "Yes, we shall." Revan held the door open for her, and they stepped out into the cold once more. Both were deep in their own thoughts, both wondering what the future might hold. And unknown to the other, each had thoughts about their growing friendship, and what the future might hold for it.


	5. Some Wounds Never Heal

Hey everyone, I'm finally back with chapter 5. I know it's been a while since i last uploaded, and i'm once again sorry for the delay (i know most of you probably don't care, but i do).

Anyway, here we are with chapter 5. Hope you all enjoy, and as always please leave any and all feedback.

Also, I'd like to thank AlphaTheGriffin17, for the inspiration i drew from his story that i put in chapter 4.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 5: Some Wounds Never Heal**

"Long story short, we learned that pissing off the Imperial guards was NOT a good idea." Tom said, causing his fellow mages to burst into laughter.

The five apprentices had been sitting in the Frozen Hearth now for a few hours, enjoying mugs of Nord mead and sharing stories with each other. The best ones had thus far come from Tom, who told several stories that dated back several years. Revan would interject at a few points to clarify some aspect, or to make sure Tom told the story accurately. But as the day wore on, Tom noticed his friend had become quieter and withdrawn. _Must be all the old memories _he thought.

Deciding to spare Revan further torment, Tom got up and stretched. "Well, I think it's about time we head back. Got some studying to do before next lesson. Wanna join me Onmund?" he said, looking to his Nord friend.

Onmund shrugged. "Might as well. I don't know where to start anyway, so it might be good to have some help. Let's go. Coming J'Zargo?"

J'Zargo got up as well. "J'Zargo will join you, but not for studying. He has an idea that he would like to experiment with."

"Suit yourself." Tom said. He turned to Revan. "Coming Rev?"

Revan shook his head. "No, I think I'll stay here a while longer. I'll catch you later." He said, turned back to the fire, his face betraying his feelings of sadness.

"Alright, if you're sure. Just don't stay too long." Tom said, then faced Brelyna. "What about you Brelyna? Up for some studying?"

Brelyna thought for a moment before also shaking her head. "I think I'll stay a little longer as well. See you later guys." She said with a smile as the three mages walked out of the inn.

Brelyna looked over at Revan, still looking intensely at the fireplace. _I really should go back and study some more, but Revan looks extremely troubled. Something must be wrong _she thought. Not entirely sure what to say, she decided just to speak her mind. "Everything ok Revan? You've been very quiet for a while now. Is something wrong?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

At first, she thought Revan might be ignoring her, as he didn't answer. But as she was about to give up, Revan spoke in a soft voice. "I miss him Brelyna."

"Who are you talking about Revan?" Brelyna asked, unsure of who he could be referring to.

Revan was silent for a moment, and Brelyna noticed a single tear moving down his cheek. "My father. I just realized that on this day, eight years ago, he was taken from me. Eight years ago, I lost the last bit of family I had left." More tears fell as he spoke, and Brelyna's heart was close to breaking.

"He must have been really important to you." She said, putting her hand on top of his, squeezing lightly. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine losing someone that close."

Revan looked up and gave a weak smile. "Thanks Brelyna, that means a lot. I've never had many close friends, but I'm glad I met you."

Brelyna felt her cheeks grow warm when he said that, and she pulled her hand back. "You're, uh, welcome Revan. That's what friends are for." An awkward silence fell between them. In an effort to break it, Brelyna changed the subject. "So, how did you end up to be in Skyrim? You said you were born in Cyrodiil earlier; how did you end up here in Winterhold?"

Revan thought for a moment. "It's kind of a long story, to be honest. I've never told anyone this, except Tom, but he was there for most of it. You probably won't want to hear it."

"I would love to hear it. I've always like hearing and reading stories, no matter how sad. Plus, it might make you feel better if you let your feelings out, instead of keeping them inside." Brelyna said, hoping he might open up and let his feelings out. _It can't be healthy to keep all those things bottled up inside yourself _she thought.

Revan let out a long sigh. "I suppose you're right. But I'm warning you now: this isn't the happiest of stories. And as I said, it's long. So are you sure you want to hear it?"

Brelyna nodded. "Well, where to begin?" Revan said. "I guess I'll need to go back to before everything in my life changed, back when life made sense…"

_8 years ago; Imperial City, Cyrodiil_

"Come on Rev, we don't want to waste any time!" Tom shouted.

"I'm right behind you, just keep going!" Revan shouted back. The two friends were racing towards the pier, hoping to find a good spot to spend the day fishing. It was still quite early, so most of the shops they passed were still closed. Most people were still sleeping, so the streets were deserted except for the night guards.

They were almost to the docks when two guards stepped out into the street in front of them. "Hold there boys. The Legion is coming through." one of the guards said. Sure enough, as soon as he said it, the sound of marching feet reached their ears. Rounding the last corner, the boys soon saw the lines of Imperial Legionnaires marching down the street. It was quite an impressive sight, to see all those soldiers marching in perfect harmony, their feet hitting the ground in unison.

"Where do you think they're off to?" Revan asked.

Tom shrugged. "No idea. I haven't heard of any news about the Thalmor attacking. Maybe they're going to Hammerfell?"

"Could be. I did hear the Redguards had pushed the Thalmor out. But why would the Legion be going there? To attack the Thalmor?"

Revan shook his head. "I don't think so. I think they're going to the border to make sure Hammerfell doesn't attack us when we're not looking. I heard they were discussing leaving the Empire."

Tom shrugged. "Not really our problem right now. Come on, it looks like that's the last of them." As he said this, the guards blocking the street moved to the side.

"Alright, shows over. Let's keep moving boys." The guard said. With a quick wave, the two boys continued towards the docks. Turning the final corner, they reached their destination.

"Excellent, there's plenty of space. Come on Rev, let's get set up." Tom said. Walking along the row of piers, the two friends decided to set up their fishing poles on the far side of the docks. Tom set to work getting the poles ready while Revan set up their stools on the pier. Around them, the dock workers were going about their business. Several ships delivering supplies were being unloaded a short distance away, a small group of seagulls were scavenging among some trash piles.

With a final knot, the fishing poles were ready. Taking one, Revan sat on the stool and flicked the end of the line into the water. "Think we'll get anything?" he said as Tom took his place.

Tom shrugged. "Maybe. Might be slim pickings today though with all the supply ships coming in. Let's see what we can get though."

A couple of hours passed, but the bucket the boys had brought was still mostly empty. A few small fish had grabbed the lines, but nothing substantial had come by yet. The miniscule haul they had was not an issue; the two boys were just glad to be outside and enjoying their free time. Since no fish were really biting, Tom had started giving Revan some riddles, which he returned in kind. And so time passed, with the two friends swapping riddles and occasionally scooping a small catch out of the water.

"Ok, try this one Rev. How far can a dog run into the woods?" Tom said.

Revan had to think for a minute, but then he remembered that he had heard this one before. "I remember this one. A dog can only run halfway into the woods, because then he'd be running out of the woods."

"Figures you'd heard that one. Your dad probably told you it." Tom said as Revan nodded. "Alright, how abou….what's going on over there?"

Revan turned to see where Tom was pointing. A small ship had pulled into the harbor and was getting ready to dock. It had several banners draped over the side, but neither of them recognized the symbol on them. "Who do you think is on that one?" Revan asked.

Tom shrugged. "Dunno, never seen those markings before. Shall we have a look?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah, I think so. We're not going to get much else out here, I think. About time we started heading back."

Tom got up from his stool and pulled his line back. "You're right, though I wish you weren't. Come on, help me with these lines."

Once the fishing poles were disassembled for transport, Revan and Tom picked up their stools and started heading back home. While they had been packing up, the strange ship had docked and a ramp was lowered. As they approached, they could see that the occupants were High Elves from the Thalmor Embassy. "What do you think they're doing here?" Revan asked.

Tom scowled. "Probably making sure we're still being good little non-Talos worshippers. Bastards." He said this last part quietly as they were now passing the Thalmor ship. They continued past the ship and away from the docks. A few hours had passed since they walked the streets going to the docks, so most of the shops in the city were open and numerous people were walking the streets.

They reached Tom's house first. The two friends bade each other goodbye, and Revan continued on alone. A short distance away, he saw his father, Varis, sweeping some dust outside of their shop/home. As Revan approached, Varis looked up and smiled. "Welcome back son. Did you catch anything good?"

Revan returned to smile as he walked up to his father. "Nothing worth mentioning. Too many ships in the harbor; the bigger fish were scared off." he said.

Varis nodded. "A pity. Well, I was about thinking about making some lunch, if you're hungry." Revan nodded furiously as his father laughed. "I figured as much. Come on, let's get you fed then."

The rest of the day passed was uneventful. A few customers came by the shop, looking for a variety of things. When it got late enough, Varis sent Revan out to take down their OPEN sign. "Another fine day Revan. Now, how about some target practice?"

The two of them went out of the shop and across the street, into the small courtyard that was surrounded by more shops. Here, with the permission of the city guard, Varis had set of a couple of archery targets and training dummies. All were well-worn with use from numerous prior sessions. Varis took an apple out of a nearby crate and balanced it on top of one of the targets. He turned back to Revan and said, "Alright Revan, let's see what you can do."

Revan stood several feet back from the target, and readied his bow. He drew the string back halfway while lining up his target. He sighted along the shaft of the arrow and held his breath. When he had the shot lined up, he pulled the string back to his fullest and released. The arrow whizzed through the air and hit the apple, splitting it in two.

Varis smiled. "A fine shot, my boy, a fine shot. Now, let's see you do it again. Faster this time." As he was about to grab another apple, Varis noticed a courier coming towards them. No one else was around them, so the courier had to be looking for one of them.

The courier walked up to the pair, holding out a letter. "Is one of you Varis Midley?" Varis nodded and the courier handed him the letter. "This is for you. No idea who from. Just told me to get it to you as soon as possible."

Varis reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple septims. "Well, I appreciate it, even though I have no idea what this is. Thank you." The courier took the septims and continued on his way. Varis looked down at the letter in his hands, and suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He opened the letter and read through it, and when he was through, the chill had spread.

"Everything alright father?" Revan asked, concern in his voice and on his face.

Varis looked at his son and smiled. "Of course son, everything's fine. I just…wasn't expecting this. But it's nothing you need concern yourself with." Folding the letter and putting it in his pocket, Varis cleared his throat. "Now, where were we? I believe you were in the process of shooting that second apple. Well, let's see it."

Their lesson continued for a while, until it got too dark to see the targets without assistance. Revan and Varis gathered up the split apples and carried them back to the shop to dispose of them. Once back inside, Varis locked the door and turned to Revan. "I think I'll turn in early son. Got a long day tomorrow."

Revan nodded. "I won't be up much longer myself. Good night dad."

After Varis went upstairs to his room, Revan went to the back room of the shop. The room served several purposes, mainly as a storage area for excess goods, but also as a parlor of sorts. A few comfy chairs were set up around a small oak table, allowing for several people to gather and relax. Along one of the walls not taken up by shelves of goods for the store was a medium sized bookshelf, full of various novels, stories, and reference materials. Revan walked up to the shelf and selected one of his favorites, "The Black Arrow". Walking back to the chairs, he settled in one of the bigger ones and opened his book.

He had only just started reading when his mind began to wander. _What was that letter that dad got? He looked pretty upset after getting it. Did something happen? _Giving up on continuing his book, Revan got up and put it back on the shelf. _I'll ask him about it tomorrow _he thought as he walked upstairs and into his room. _I just hope nothing bad has happened. But if it had, I'm sure he would have told me. _With a sigh, Revan realized he was going to have trouble sleeping now, but decided to try anyway. As he lay his head down, his mind was still trying to figure out what might have happened. After a while though, his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

Revan awoke the next day, surprised that he felt quite good, especially considering he has spent a good part of the night tossing and turning. He got up, stretched, and walked over to the window. _No wonder I feel so good, it's already late morning. It's so cloudy though, you wouldn't know unless you looked at a clock. _Stretching once more, he wandered over to his dresser and pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt.

As it was Sundas, the shop was closed for the day, which meant Revan had the day to himself. As he entered the main shop, he saw a note on the counter.

_Revan,_

_ Had some errands to run; should be back before dusk. Stay out of trouble, but enjoy yourself. Left some food for you on the table, but it might be cold by the time you read this._

_ -Dad_

Revan smiled and shook his head at his father's foresight. Walking over to the table, he saw the food his dad mentioned, and as predicted the food was cold. Summoning some flames in his hand, he held them over the plate for a few seconds. When it was warm enough, Revan extinguished the flames and began to eat.

The sky was still cloudy when Revan stepped outside, and there was a cool wind blowing in the streets. Pulling up his hood, Revan crossed the street to the courtyard where the targets were set up. Once he got past the gate, he walked up to the small wall next to the largest target. He placed a new quiver of arrows on top of it, and took the bow out of the sling across his back. Revan reached into the quiver and grabbed three of the arrows. Stringing one on his bow, Revan held the other two in his hand that also held the grip. Pulling the string taut, he sighted along the arrow shaft and fired. Quickly pulling out a second arrow, Revan set up the arrow and fired again. He did so again with the third, then stepped forward to see how he had done.

This continued for a couple of hours, with Revan practicing both quick snap shots and aimed shots. He had just pulled an arrow out of the target for the umpteenth time when he felt someone watching him. He turned to look around the courtyard, but no one was around. A few people were roaming the streets, but no eyes were upon him. Turning back to pull out another arrow that appeared to be stuck, Revan still felt eyes upon him. He smiled to himself when he realized who it was. "A nice try, but you'll need to do better than that." He said, seemingly to no one.

"Damn you! One day Rev, I will sneak up on you without you noticing." Came the voice of Tom, who suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Revan chuckled. "You had me going for a while, but I think your muffle spell wore off. Plus, I just had a feeling you were there."

Tom snorted. "Yeah, a 'feeling'. Riiiiight. You're cheating somehow, I know it." He said. Tom gestured to the bow slung across his back. "Anyway, ready to continue my lessons?"

Revan nodded. "Yep, just let me…..get…..this arrow out…come on you." He said, grunting as he struggled with the arrow. He finally pulled it free, but noticed the tip was missing. "Damn, a perfectly good arrow, wasted. Oh well, had to happen sometime." Revan turned back to Tom. "Right, let's see what you remember."

Tom nodded and took the bow from his back. Stringing an arrow, he moved to stand in front of the target. He pulled the string back partway, and said "Like this, right?"

Revan moved to stand next to him and checked form. Revan nodded approvingly. "You're good to go. Let's see you shoot now."

Tom took a deep breath, pulled the string back, and fired. The arrow hit the target, about a foot away from the center. "Damn! That didn't go too well, did it? I guess I shouldn't have expected too much since it's been so long."

"It was a fine shot. The first step is to know how to shoot a bow. Once you master that, all it takes is time and practice to increase your accuracy. You'll get it eventually, don't worry. Come on, let's see you do it again."

They continued for a while longer, until it came time for Tom to head home. "If I don't get home soon, Father won't be happy. Thanks for the lesson Rev!" he said, shouting the last part as he ran off down the street. Revan shook his head as Tom left, partly in amusement and partly because he knew Tom's parents didn't approve of what he was showing Tom. He hated that he could get his friend in trouble, but Tom had assured him that he wanted to learn, and if his parents wouldn't let him, he would find his own teacher. Revan smiled, remembering how Tom had practically begged him to teach him, even offering to pay for the lessons. Revan of course declined, but it was still mildly amusing to remember.

Turning back to the targets, he decided stop for the day. _It'll be dark in a couple hours, and Dad should be home soon _he thought as he gathered his arrows and put them back in the quiver. _Think I'll take another crack at that book when I get back._ Arrows secure in their quiver, Revan slung the quiver across his back, picked up his bow, and walked out of the courtyard. Although it would be another couple of hours, the sky was already growing dark. Revan walked up the front stairs of the shop and opened the door. He placed the quiver on the floor near the door and walked into the back room of the shop. Once inside, he began lighting the wall sconces, banishing the darkness from the room. With the room lit, Revan moved to stand in front of the bookshelf. He pulled "The Black Arrow" down again and sat in the chair to begin reading.

Time passed as Revan sat reading. When he got about halfway through the book, he looked up to see that it was already dusk. _Hmmm, Dad should have been home by now. What could be keeping him? _Growing worried now, Revan tried to focus on his book. He was interrupted though by the sound of the door opening. Putting the book down, he walked quickly out into the main room. Hoping it was his father, Revan was surprised to see Samuel, the guard who was close friends with his father. Revan smiled when he saw him. "Samuel, what are you doing here? I thought you had the night shift on Sundas. Did you need something?" Revan's smile faded when he saw the look on Samuel's face. "Is something wrong?"

Samuel nodded once and then sat down in one of the chairs in front of the counter. "Revan….." he started to say, but stopped. Sighing, Samuel reached into his pocket and pulled out an amulet. Placing it on the counter, he looked at Revan. "I'm sorry Revan. Your father…..he….I'm so sorry."

Revan looked down at the amulet and immediately recognized it as the one his father always wore. It was a simple design, just a small silver circle with three gemstones in the middle. It had apparently belonged to Revan's mother, before she died. Revan knew, deep down, what had happened, but he still couldn't believe it. "What happened?" he asked, he voice breaking slightly.

Samuel sighed. "Not really sure, I'm afraid. All I know is that there was some anti-Thalmor protest going on near the market square. You can imagine that the Thalmor up at the embassy didn't take kindly to the demonstration, even if it was peaceful. So they sent some of those Justiciars in to take care of the protestors. Things got ugly fast, and you know those Justiciars- they don't do things half-way. The whole thing was over in seconds. Bodies everywhere, most unrecognizable. Myself and couple other guards had to go through and clean up the mess, and that's when I saw the amulet. I knew right away that it had to have been your father. I'm so sorry Revan. I don't know what to say."

Revan looked back at the amulet, tears falling now. "But Dad wasn't even part of the anti-Thalmor group. He didn't like them much, but he never did anything against them." His voice was now shaking quite a bit, as more tears fell. "Why him?"

"Dunno. I knew your father for many years, and you're right, he wouldn't do anything like this. My guess is he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Probably just got hit with a wayward spell." Samuel sighed again. "I'm sorry Revan, this is a lot to take in. I can go if you want to be alone." Revan could only nod at this point. Samuel got up from the chair. "As you wish. I'll be by tomorrow with someone from the Chamber of Commerce. We'll need to figure out what will happen to you and the shop. We'll need to see if your father ever had a will made." Samuel walked to the door and opened it, but before stepping out, he turned back to Revan. "You sure you want to be alone right now?"

Revan looked over at Samuel. "Yeah, I think so. I need to process everything. But….Thank you, Samuel. For telling me what happened."

Samuel nodded. "The least I could do. See you soon, Revan." And with that, Samuel walked out, closing the door behind him. Revan was left to grieve alone, now crying in earnest, unsure of what to do next.

_One week later_

"Are you sure you want to sell the store Rev?" Tom asked. The small funeral for Varis Midley had just finished and the small gathering of people were heading home. Revan had just finished telling Tom about his plans, which included selling the store, which was now his, and to go adventuring across Cyrodiil.

"Yeah, I'm sure Tom. There's nothing left for me here. I was never one to run a shop, and I think Dad knew that. I'm finalizing the sale to the Black Horse Courier today; they could put the place to good use." Revan put a hand on Tom's shoulder. "It's what I want to do. I need to make my own way in this world."

Tom nodded, but still looked upset. "I can see you're set on this, so I don't think I can stop you. Just remember that if you need anything, you come find me." Tom suddenly pulled Revan into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you buddy. Take care of yourself."

Revan returned the hug. "I will, you know me. I promise I'll come back one day." Revan and Tom separated, and Revan saw Tom was trying hard to not cry, but he wasn't entirely successful. Revan smiled reassuringly. "We'll see each other again someday, I know it. Just make sure you don't let your archery skills get completely rusty."

Tom laughed slightly at this, wiping his eyes. "You know my parents don't want me practicing that, but I'll find a way. Good luck Rev." With one last quick hug, Tom walked out of the courtyard and towards his house. Revan watched him go with slight regret, but a grim resolve set in once he looked back at his father's gravestone.

"You taught me so much Dad, I'll never forget. Maybe I'll go try and learn some magic; you always wanted me to learn how to control it." Turning away, Revan walked into the shop, and sat down to wait for the editor from the Black Horse.

_The next day_

Revan looked back across the bridge at the Imperial City. Already, it seemed like he had been walking for a long time, even though it had been less than ten minutes since he walked out of the shop. The early morning fog was still hovering above the water surrounding the city, and Revan saw a couple of mudcrabs wandering around on the shore. _Well, last chance Revan. Last chance to turn back_ he thought, but his resolve was strong. He had no idea where he would go; he would just go where his legs took him. Shifting the pack on his back to a more comfortable position, Revan set off. To where, he didn't know, but did know that he would find what he wanted to do and he would be damn good at it.

_Present day_

"I wandered Cyrodiil for years, taking some small jobs here and there to keep myself occupied. Eventually, I heard about the College from a passing caravan. I wanted to go, but I decided to wait for a couple years. I used that time to practice on my own, and I even asked a couple people I had met to teach me what they could. Once I felt ready, I got on a caravan and ended up here."

Revan had been telling his story for a while now, and Brelyna had been listening intently. She was fascinated by the whole thing; that he had been on his own for so long and had gone through so much in his short life. _I can't even imagine losing what he has and having to go through all of that _she thought. But as his story concluded, Brelyna realized that she actually had more in common with Revan than she initially thought. Sure, she never lost her family like he had, but did she really even know them? Her parents were always busy with their experiments and projects, and even when they spent time with her they would always talk about how she had high expectations to reach; ones she could never reach if she wanted to have a normal life.

But here she was, sitting in front of a fireplace, drinking some Nord mead, listening to someone she saw as a friend telling their life story. It may not be very exciting, and she could practically hear the disapproval of her parents, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to be here for Revan, and support him now when he felt vulnerable. "That was quite a story Revan. I can't imagine going through what you just described."

Revan looked over at Brelyna, his eyes slightly glazed from the amount of mead he had drunk. "It's still hard, knowing he's gone. But it does feel better getting all of that off my chest. Thanks for listening Brelyna." He looked out of the window, and noticed that the sun was starting to descend. "Wow, I was talking for longer than I thought. I'm sorry about that."

Brelyna shook her head. "There's nothing to be sorry about. I'm just glad I could be here for you. But we probably should start getting back to the College. We still need to study for tomorrow's lesson after all."

Revan nodded, and tossed back the last of his mead. "You're right. Let's get back."

He got up from his chair, a little wobbly, and started towards the door. As he passed the bar, he put a small pile of coins on the counter. "Thanks for everything. We'll be back soon."

The innkeeper took the coins gratefully and put them in a strongbox under the bar. "You're welcome back anytime, both of you."

Revan walked over to the door, still slightly unsteady. He opened it and walked down the stairs. Before he reached the bottom though, he slipped and started to fall. Luckily, a hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back up. He turned and saw Brelyna behind him. He smiled at her. "Thanks for the save. I guess I overdid it a little, huh?"

Brelyna laughed. "A little? You had six bottles to yourself. I'm surprised you're standing, let alone walking and talking. Come here, let me help." She put an arm around his shoulder and gently guided him towards the College bridge.

Revan felt his face grow warm as Brelyna helped him back towards the College. _Must be the mead; I really shouldn't have had so many. _After carefully crossing the dilapidated bridge, they reached the gate. As usual, it swung open when they approached, and the pair headed inside. They had just turned towards the Hall of Attainment when they saw a Dunmer and an Altmer talking to each other a short distance away. "Who do you suppose they are?" Revan asked.

As if on cue, the two strangers turned to the apprentices. The Dunmer beckoned them over with a look of concern on his face. "Is everything alright you two? Are you injured?"

Revan laughed a bit at this. "No sir, I was just reliving some painful memories; might have overdone the mead a little bit. I'll be fine."

The Dunmer nodded, still looking concerned. "Well, alright, but please be more careful next time. We don't need any accidents around here. Anyway, I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Savos Aren, Arch Mage of the College." Savos turned to his companion. "And this is Ancano, our new advisor."

Ancano gave a short bow. "A pleasure. I hope we will get to know each other soon." He said in a polite, yet cold voice. A slight shiver ran down Revan's spine, which he knew had nothing to do with the cold.

Savos spoke again. "You must be Revan Midley and Brelyna Maryon, correct?" When the apprentices nodded, he continued, "Yes, Tolfdir and Mirabelle have filled me in with all the details. An impressive bit of conjuration, Miss Maryon; it's not every day we get an apprentice who can summon Atronachs at will. I do ask that you keep them under control if it happens again however."

Brelyna flushed slightly at this, but nodded. "I will sir. It was an accident on my part due to nerves."

"Yes, Tolfdir said as much. And please, do not think I am angry. I am merely looking out for the safety of our students." He turned back to face Revan. "Well, I'm sure you would like to get some rest; you look like you could use it. I will let you two go on your way now. Good night."

"Good night, Arch Mage." The two apprentices said in unison, as Savos and Ancano moved away, talking to each other once more.

Brelyna noticed Revan was glaring at Ancano's back. "Are you alright Revan? Is there something wrong about Ancano?"

Revan scowled. "Those robes he's wearing, do you know what they are?" When Brelyna shook her head, he said, "Those are Thalmor robes. I'd recognize them anywhere. What in Oblivion are they doing here?"

Brelyna grabbed his shoulder and angled him towards the dorms. "Let's not worry about that now. You need to get some sleep so you can be ready for the lesson tomorrow. Come on."

They reached Revan's room without incident, and he gratefully fell into his bed. "Oof, that feels nice. Maybe some rest will do me some good." Seeing Brelyna still standing in the doorway, he flushed slightly. "Um, if it's alright with you, I could use some privacy Brelyna."

Brelyna jumped slightly, and turned red as well. "Um, sure, right. Um, good night Revan." She walked out of the room quickly and closed the door.

Revan watched the door until he heard another door close down the hall. "Wonder what that was all about?" Shrugging, he took off his boots and set them against the wall next to his wardrobe. Stretching slightly, he began disrobing. But his thoughts were elsewhere. On the arrival of a Thalmor agent, and what it could mean for the College. On the memory of his father. But as he fell asleep that night, his thoughts drifted to Brelyna: the most wonderful girl he had ever met. This girl, who he had only just met, but already considered a close friend. _Maybe life's not so bad after all _he thought as his eyelids grew heavy. His dreams that night were quite pleasant.


	6. A Lesson in Archery

Hey everyone, here's a new chapter for you. I initially wanted to have this chapter cover the expedition to Saarthal as well, but after seeing how long this one ended up being, i decided to split it into two. So, without further ado, onto chapter 6.

As always, feel free to leave any and all feedback.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 6: A Lesson in Archery**

Revan woke the next morning with a pounding headache. _Six bottles, eh? Certainly feels like it._ He sat up slowly, hissing at the pain in his head. Wiping the last bit of sleep from his eyes, he looked around, wincing at the light. It was well after sunrise, and his room was lit by the bright sunlight outside. _It's too early for this_ he thought as he got out of his bed and stretched. Rubbing his temples in an attempt to alleviate the pain, he wandered over the washbasin in the corner and splashed some water on his face. As he grabbed a towel to dry himself, he heard a knock on the door. "It's open." He called out.

The door opened and Tom walked in. "Morning sleepyhead. Sleep well?" he said with a grin.

Revan threw the towel at his friend, who snatched it out of the air. "Better than I have in a long time, but it doesn't help the hangover any." Revan crossed the room and fell into the chair next to his bed. "Last time I down six bottles of mead by myself."

Tom laughed at this. "Six? That's all? You've lost your touch Rev. Don't worry; we'll fix that soon enough." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue potion. "Here, you might want to drink this. It tastes absolutely vile, but it'll clear your headache in no time." He handed the potion to Revan, who accepted it gratefully.

"Cheers then." Revan said as he pulled out the stopper and tipped the bottle back. His face twisted into a grimace almost immediately. "Oh gods, that's foul. What in Oblivion is in this?" He thought for a moment before continuing. "Actually, on second thought, I'd rather not know." Finishing the rest of the terrible concoction, Revan set the bottle down and waited. Despite the taste, the potion went to work in seconds, and soon enough Revan felt like himself again. "Well, that was certainly effective. I feel like I could take on the world now, or at least our next lesson. We'd better get over there; let me just get dressed and we can go."

Tom nodded and walked out of the room. "I'll meet you there Rev." He called back through the closed door.

Revan walked over to his wardrobe and pulled on his apprentice robes. The College was a safe place, but Revan had traveled by himself for so long that it was now habit that he carried some kind of weapon with him at all times. He grabbed the shoulder sling that held his dagger and put it on. _Better than nothing _he thought as he pulled on his boots. Ready at last, Revan walked out of the dorms and into the College courtyard. The sun was shining bright, but the air was still chilly. Pulling his hood up, he crossed the courtyard as quickly as he could, grateful that the Hall of Elements was warm. Shivering slightly at the temperature change, Revan removed his hood and walked over to stand with the rest of his fellow mages. As usual, they were gathered around one of the mage lights practicing various spells. As he approached, Revan could see that Brelyna was in the center of the group, showing Tom her summoned Atronach.

"You make it look so easy Brelyna, I don't know how you do it." Tom was saying.

"It took me months of constant practice to even learn how to summon it, and months more to learn how to control it. Atronachs are highly unpredictable, even when they're in a good mood."

Tom looked back at the Atronach in slight awe. "You definitely have to show me how to do it someday. That's awesome."

Brelyna blushed slightly at the praise, but nodded. "I'll show you someday, I promise."

The Hall door opened at this point, and in walked Tolfdir and a courier. The courier looked like he'd been traveling for days on end, which was entirely possible given how big Skyrim was. Tolfdir accepted the letter the courier gave to him and handed him a small bag. With a bow, the courier walked back out of the Hall. Tolfdir opened the letter and skimmed it briefly, a smile forming on his face, before placing the letter in one of his pockets. Noticing the gathered apprentices, he walked over to them. "Ah good, you're all here now. Shall we begin?"

With a nod from all five apprentices, he continued, "Excellent! Now, I'm going to keep this lesson short because I have some exciting news, but we'll get to that later. Last time we met, I asked you all to find a way to break through a ward spell. Were you successful in finding a way?"

"Yes, we found a way to break through a ward." Tom said. "After looking through some books, we found that lightning is the easiest way to break through a ward spell, as it drains a mage's magicka, reducing the energy they have to hold the ward."

Tolfdir beamed at his answer. "Correct, well done. Yes, lightning is the best way to break through a ward spell, for the exact reason you said. Now, I think a small demonstration is in order. Brelyna, would you mind helping me?"

"Not at all, sir." Brelyna said.

"Wonderful. Now, if you could take this amulet, we can begin." Tolfdir said, pulling a small amulet out of his pocket. Brelyna accepted it and put it on. "Good. I would like you to cast your ward and hold it while I send some lightning at you. I just want you to hold the ward until it collapses, alright?" Brelyna nodded, looking slightly nervous. "Don't worry," Tolfdir continued, "That amulet has been enchanted to resist lightning. It will protect you long enough for our demonstration. Now, please stand on the seal over there and cast your ward."

Brelyna moved over to the seal they had used in previous lessons and held up her hand. The now familiar shimmer of a ward spell appeared before her. "Now, hold your ward steady, and I'll try to break through it." Tolfdir said, his hands glowing with electricity. Brelyna indicated she was ready, and Tolfdir sent streams of sparks into her ward. The shield held for a couple of seconds, but then collapsed completely. The sparks briefly covered Brelyna before Tolfdir put his hands down. "Excellent work, my dear. Are you alright?"

Brelyna nodded. "Yes, I'm alright. That amulet worked well; I didn't even feel the sparks."

Tolfdir's smile widened. "Good to hear. We don't need anyone getting hurt, after all. Thank you for your help." Turning back to the rest of the apprentices, he continued. "You saw how quickly the sparks collapsed the ward? That is the best way to consistently break through a ward. There are of course other ways to do it, but that is the most reliable. Now, normally I would have you split up and practice on your own, but I have better idea; one you will probably find more interesting." He pulled out the letter he had received earlier. "Recently, a couple of miners came across an ancient ruined city. They came here and informed the Arch-Mage, who sent out a small expedition, led by one of our senior members, to see what they could find. The letter I just received is from the head of the excavation, letting me know that they have broken into a main chamber. After some research here, we believe that the ruins are all that remains of the city Saarthal, the first city of the ancient Nords.

Upon hearing this, Onmund straightened slightly and a scowl appeared on his face. If Tolfdir noticed, he didn't say anything. Revan noticed however, and looked over at his friend. _He must not be happy that the College is disturbing his ancestor's rest _he thought; _I suppose it makes sense that he's upset. _Onmund saw Revan looking at him now, so Revan gave him a reassuring smile. Onmund returned it and nodded before turned back to Tolfdir, who was still speaking.

"So, the Arch-Mage and I agree that this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to study this ancient culture up close, so we will be going over to Saarthal to explore. According to the letter, the areas they have already excavated are being braced against collapse, so we can't go quite yet. However, we should be able to begin exploring tomorrow, so I would ask you all to be at Saarthal tomorrow afternoon. Until then, I will allow you to do as you wish, so enjoy yourselves. If you want to know where Saarthal is, the map in the Arcanaeum now has the location on it. That's all for today. See you tomorrow." And with that, Tolfdir turned and left the Hall.

Tom turned to the rest of the apprentices. "Well, I think now's a good time for a trip to the Frozen Hearth, whaddya say Onmund?"

Revan shook his head in amusement. "Don't you think it's a little early to start drinking Tom? It's not even midday yet."

Tom laughed. "Who said I wanted a drink? Maybe I'm just hungry. And anyway, what's wrong with an early start? We've got the rest of the day to ourselves, so why not?"

"I think I'll pass Tom; you can have my drink. I think I'm just going to take a walk around the area today." Revan said.

Tom shrugged. "Suit yourself Rev. Come on Onmund and J'Zargo, let's grab some grub. You're welcome to join us Brelyna." And with that, the three apprentices walked out of the Hall.

Revan chuckled to himself. "That guy can drink like a fish, that's for sure." Noticing Brelyna still standing near him, he smiled at her. "I think I'll get going. You're more than welcome to join me, or you can go with them. Your choice."

Brelyna smiled back. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll just stay here for now. I had some studying I wanted to do while I have the chance."

Revan nodded. "Understandable. Well, see you later." Revan walked out of the Hall and over to the dorms. Once he got to his room, he walked over to his wardrobe. Pulling out his quiver, he counted his stock of arrows. _As I thought, getting low. I haven't had a chance to restock in awhile. Maybe I'll take a look around the general store in town, see what they have. _Set in his destination, Revan grabbed his sword belt and fastened it around his waist. The quiver strap went over his shoulder and crossed his chest, and in the strap was a sheath holding his main dagger. Pulling out the dagger he had carried earlier, Revan replaced it in its proper sheath on the back on his sword belt. Adjusting the straps to make them more comfortable, Revan had to admit that it felt good to have the familiar weight of his gear back in place. Checking to make sure his boot dagger was still secure, Revan picked up his bow and walked out of his room and out into the courtyard.

The sun was shining bright and there was no wind to speak of, so the day was quite pleasant as Revan crossed the bridge into Winterhold. He shook his head sadly as he passed by a couple of destroyed homes that were still standing. The Great Collapse had cost the city greatly, and it seemed like a miracle would be needed for it to return to its former glory. Continuing down the road, Revan passed the Frozen Hearth and shook his head again, this time in amusement. _Wonder how many meads Tom has had already? _Passing the inn, Revan finally reached his destination, the small general store known as Birna's Oddments. It was a small shop as not many people lived in Winterhold and fewer passed through who weren't part of the College. Walking up the steps, Revan opened the door into the store.

The woman behind the counter looked up from her work and smiled at Revan. "Hello dear, welcome to Birna's Oddments; my name is Birna. What can I do for you today?" she said.

Revan approached the counter. "My arrow supply is running low. I was hoping you might have some for sale."

The woman turned to the various crates piled up behind the counter. "Yes, I have some available. I got a double shipment recently, and there aren't enough people who would buy them." Finding what she was looking for, Birna turned back to Revan and placed three quivers of steel arrows on the counter. "Yes, here we are. I have some more in the crate if you like. How many will you need?"

Revan considered the three quivers and the amount of gold in his pouch. "Three quivers should be plenty. How much do I owe you?"

Birna smiled again. "For you, dear, how about two hundred gold for the lot?"

Revan was taken aback by this. Usually, for the quality of the arrows he would expect to pay twice as much, if not more. "That's very generous of you, but it seems like you could charge much more."

Birna shook her head. "I could, but then I wouldn't sell any. Not many people around here need arrows. In fact, you're the first in several months. The way I figure, you're part of the College, am I right?" When Revan nodded, she continued, "So you'll be around Winterhold for a while. My guess is you will need more arrows in the future, so I'm sure you'll be back." Tying the three quivers together with some twine she pulled from under the counter, Birna handed the bundle to Revan as he put the gold on the counter. "Was there anything else you were looking for?"

Revan thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. "No, that's it for now. Thank you very much, and I will be back for more arrows when I run out of these." Birna waved as Revan walked back out onto the street.

The sun had just reached its highest point, so there was still plenty of daylight left. Turning away from the College, Revan walked out of Winterhold. The road was paved, but very rough due to age. The wind had begun to blow now, and snow was blown onto the road at various points. This didn't concern Revan as the day was still clear and he didn't plan on going far. Pulling out his map, Revan traced the route to his destination: the Shrine of Azura. He had read about it when he was younger and had always wanted to visit it. Being at the College with the day off, he had the perfect opportunity.

Storing the map back in its belt pouch, Revan set off once more. He noticed that the further he got from Winterhold, the stronger the wind became. The snow lining the road was blowing across in clouds now. Eventually, Revan pulled his hood up to help shield his face from the sting of the snow. He was glad he did so when he spotted two wolves in the distance. Unsure if he had been spotted, Revan quickly crouched down and pulled out his bow. He surveyed the wolves for a few seconds, still unsure if they knew he was there.

When they started running towards him, barking viciously, Revan pulled out an arrow and strung his bow. Sighting along the shaft, he pulled back and fired. The first shot was true as it hit the lead wolf in the chest. Undeterred, the second wolf continued to close the distance. Unable to safely get a second shot off, Revan discarded his bow and pulled out his sword. He set his feet and waited for the wolf to reach him. With a snarl, the wolf leapt into the air. Revan anticipated the move however and sidestepped around the wolf, grazing its side with the sword edge. With a loud yelp, the wolf fell heavily into the snow, but it had no intentions of giving up. With another snarl, the wolf jumped towards Revan again. Once again anticipating his enemy's action, Revan raised his sword with both hands and slapped the wolf aside. It landed with another thud, and before it could stand again, Revan's dagger found its eye socket. With one last yelp, the wolf lay still.

Pulling his dagger out, Revan stuck the blade into the snow, cleaning the blood off. Replacing it in its sheath, Revan stood up and returned his sword to its sheath as well. Looking around, Revan walked over to the spot he had dropped his bow. _That was a little too close. I need to be more careful with this _Revan chided himself as he picked up the bow and wiped the snow off of it. Replacing it on his back, he looked around. "How long have you been hiding there Brelyna?"

Brelyna stepped out from behind the bushes lining the road. "How did you know I was there? I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't want to get in your way."

Revan shook his head, a small smile forming on his face. "No need to apologize. I thought that someone was following me, but I didn't know it was you until just now. As for how I knew, let's just say spending most of seven years out in the wild on your own makes ones senses sharper."

Brelyna considered this for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I suppose it would." Looking at the various weapons Revan had strapped to his body, she realized she had never seen them before. "I've never seen you so well-armed before. Expecting trouble?"

Revan shook his head. "No, I just feel it's better to be cautious. You never know what you might find out here."

Brelyna laughed a little at this. "Like a pair of wolves blocking your way?"

Revan shrugged. "Wolves today, could be trolls tomorrow. My dad taught me to be ready for anything."

Glancing down at his various blades, a brief wave of sadness came over him. Seeing his obvious distress, Brelyna walked over to him. Gesturing to the daggers, she asked, "Were these your father's?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah, they were gifts from various occasions." He pulled out the dagger that crossed his chest. "This one was his. After he died and I decided to go my own way, I had to figure out what to take with me and what to leave behind. This is one of the last things I have to remember him." Shaking his head, he smiled at Brelyna. "But enough about that. Today's not a day to be sad. Come on, let's head back to the College. I think I've had enough excitement for now."

The two friends started back towards Winterhold. As they were walking back, Brelyna turned to Revan. "That was a good shot back there, against that first wolf. I can't believe you were able to focus on the shot with it charging at you."

Revan flushed slightly at the praise. "It really wasn't that impressive. I took too much time on the shot that I couldn't get the second one in time. I should have been quicker."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself. Not just anyone could make that shot. You're father was a good teacher. I know I would never be able to make that shot." Brelyna said, noticing Revan's cheeks turning pink.

Revan sighed. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I can be a bit modest sometimes." A sudden thought came to Revan. "Hey Brelyna, have you ever used a bow before?"

Brelyna nodded. "Yes, but it was many years ago when I was only a child. My parents were never very keen on me learning anything that didn't have to do with magic or Telvanni politics."

"Do you have any interest in learning? I could teach you if you want." Revan replied.

It was Brelyna's turn to blush now. "Um, thanks for the thought, but I think it would be a wasted effort. It's been so long since I've used a bow, I don't think I can remember any of what I learned."

Revan laughed. "I think it's your turn to not give yourself enough credit. I taught Tom how to use a bow back when were younger, and let me tell you he was awful when he started. I'm surprised he knew which side the arrow came out of. After a few weeks though, he was actually getting quite good. He'll probably never be as good as me though." Brelyna laughed at this. "What, you're the one who told me I was too modest." Revan said with a grin.

Brelyna laughed again at his statement. "Yes, I suppose I did, didn't I?" Brelyna's smile faded and she sighed. "You are right though. I have been living under my parents for too long. It's time I started doing things my way." Her smile returned as she continued. "Besides, I do miss my archery lessons. It might be good to practice again."

Revan smiled and nodded. "If you're sure, then I will be glad to teach you." The two mages had now entered Winterhold again, and as they passed the general store, Revan held out a hand to stop Brelyna. "Before we go back, I need to make a quick stop." Brelyna nodded as Revan walked up the stairs into the store.

Birna was still behind the counter, but she was now organizing some potion ingredients into individual containers. "Why, hello dear. Didn't think I'd see you again so soon. What can I do for you?"

Revan walked up to the counter and pulled out a small pouch of gold. "I'd like another two quivers of those arrows please."

Birna nodded as she accepted the pouch. Turning back to the crates lining the wall, she pulled out two quivers. "There you are, two quivers. Was there anything else?"

Revan shook his head as he grabbed the quivers. "No, nothing else for right now. Thank you again."

Birna nodded with a smile. "My pleasure dear. Do be careful with your practice."

"Thanks, I will." Revan said over his shoulder as he exited the store. Brelyna was leaning against the wall, tossing a small fireball back and forth in her hands.

Seeing Revan, she extinguished the spell and stood up. "Got what you needed?"

Revan held up the arrows. "Yep, all set. Um, I hate to ask, but would you mind helping me with these?" he asked, indicating the three quivers slung across his back already.

Brelyna laughed. "Stocking up, are we? Sure, let me take those." she said as she accepted the new quivers. Together, they returned to the College.

They reached the courtyard, and Revan took the quivers off his back and laid them near the target he had set up previously. Brelyna did the same with the ones she had been carrying. "So that's what all this stuff is for. I was wondering why all of this stuff was set up in a school of magic." Turning to Revan, she continued, "So how is this going to work? We only have your bow to use, and I don't think you would trust me with your bow."

Revan smiled at her. "Nonsense, I trust you with my bow. But I have an idea. Wait here." And with that, he turned and walked off into the dorms, leaving Brelyna with her thoughts.

_He really trusts me that much? I never knew. _She sighed as she stood waiting. _He's the first person I've ever met who didn't judge me for what I should be. I'm really glad I met him. And so handsome too…._

…..

Revan walked into the dorms and sighted the person he was looking for almost immediately. "There you are, I was hoping you'd be in here." He said as he approached.

Tom looked up from the book he had been reading, a curious look on his face. "Now why in the world would you be looking for me?" he said sarcastically. "I mean, we've only known each other most of our lives."

Revan gave a short laugh. "Yes, that's certainly true. I had a question for you. Do you still have that bow you came here with? I'd like to borrow it for a while."

Tom was now genuinely confused. "My bow, you mean the one you gave me back when we were younger? Yeah, I still have it, in my room. Come on." Getting up from the chair, Tom led the way to his room. "What do you need it for Rev? You've already got one, and it's far superior to mine. You didn't break it, did you?"

Revan chuckled. "No, nothing like that. I need to borrow it so Brelyna can practice. I'm going to give her some training in archery."

Realization hit Tom, and a sly look crossed his face. "Ahhh, I see. Suddenly, everything is clear. It's about time you made a move. But I gotta say, it does seem like a lame first date. You really couldn't come up with anything better?"

From the flush that came to Revan's cheeks, Tom could see that his hunch was right. "No, it's nothing like that. She wanted to learn, I offered to teach her. That's all."

"Uh huh, suuure it is. Once again, a pretty shade of pink you've got there Rev." Tom said with a laugh.

Revan scowled at his friend. "This again? I told you, Brelyna and I are just friends. Nothing more."

Tom studied his friend's face. Even though Revan spoke those words, Tom could see he didn't really believe them. "Right. Come on Rev, who are you trying to fool? 'Cause I'm not buying it."

"There's nothing between us; not like that anyway. We're just friends, that's all. Now, do you have that bow or not?"

Tom sighed. _Stubborn as always. _"Yes, your majesty. Right here." He opened the wardrobe and pulled out the bow. It was a simple hunting bow, and it had seen quite a bit of use over the years. But the string was taut and the wood still flexible. Tom handed it to Revan. "Might as well keep it. Those days are far behind me I'm afraid. Besides, I'd much rather focus on my magic studies."

Revan accepted the bow with a nod. "If you're sure. I'll take good care of it. Thanks Tom." Bow in hand, Revan left the room.

Tom stared at the door for a few moments after Revan left. _When will he wake up and see reality? It's obvious he cares about her, and I'm almost positive she feels the same way. _He shrugged. _Either he'll figure it out one day, or he won't. Not a whole lot I can do about it now._

…

"You're sure Tom won't mind?" Brelyna asked, still unsure.

Revan nodded. "He was more than happy to lend it to me. Besides, I'm the one who gave it to him. Now, let's see what you remember."

Brelyna nodded nervously, and stood in front of the target. "Just relax. There's no one else here but us. I know it's been several years since you've done this, but you really never forget these kind of things." Revan said, hoping to calm her nerves.

Brelyna exhaled, and readied the bow. An arrow already strung, she sighted along the shaft. She didn't believe Revan until now, but she realized that now that she was here, bow in hand, the lessons she had learned all those years ago did start to come back. Focusing on the target, she drew back the string, inhaled deeply, and released the string. The arrow whizzed through the air and hit the target with a muffled thunk.

"Not bad at all, considering you haven't done this in a long time. Well done." Revan said as he walked over to the target. "You flinched slightly as you released though, causing it to go off-center slightly. But very well done for a first attempt. Try it again." And so it went for next couple of hours, the two friends alternating at shooting the target and Revan helping Brelyna improve her skills. They only stopped once the sun began to set.

"Wow, sundown already? Where did the time go? I think that's enough for today Brelyna. We can continue another time."

Brelyna pulled the last arrow out of the target and put it back in the quiver. She then turned to Revan and smiled. "Thanks for the lesson Revan. I didn't realize how much I still remembered." She then held out the bow to him. "Here, I think this belongs to you."

Revan shook his head. "Why don't you hold onto it? You'll be the one using it; it only makes sense."

Brelyna pulled her hand back and looked down at the bow. "Well, if you're sure, alright." Looking back up, she continued, "It's getting late, and we're going to have a long day tomorrow, I think. I'm going to get some sleep. See you tomorrow Revan." Giving him one last smile, she walked off into the Hall of Attainment.

Revan gathered the rest of the archery equipment before heading into the dorms. He could hear Tom, Onmund, and J'Zargo involved in some kind of game in the common room. _Poor Onmund and J'Zargo, they have no idea what their getting into, playing against Tom. Hope no money is involved. _Shaking his head in amusement, he went into his room and closed the door. Storing away his bow and the quivers, he disrobed and got into bed. He stayed awake for awhile longer though, staring at the ceiling and thinking back to the archery lesson. As his eyelids grew heavy, his thoughts drifted back to Brelyna.

Once again, his dreams were quite pleasant.


	7. Night of Tears

Hey everyone, my sincerest apologies that this took so long to finish. The last few weeks have been crazy, what with finals for school, finishing everything at work before our end of year shutdown, and the holidays, its been one thing after another. But i finally found enough time to get this finished, so i hope this makes up for everything. Enjoy.

As always, feel free to leave any and all feedback.

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 7: Night of Tears**

_The sun was shining bright as Revan raced across the meadow, his pursuer still close behind. Laughing as he went, Revan looked behind him briefly to see how far ahead he was. _

_ "I'm going to get you Revan. You can't run forever!" came the voice of Brelyna, trying her hardest to close the distance between them._

_ "Maybe not forever, but I just need to outrun you." Revan yelled back, still looking over his shoulder. Quickly turning back to face front, he continued running, not seeing the small hole in front of him until it was too late. Before he even knew what was happening, Revan was flat on his back. Suppressing a grin, he rolled around and groaned with pain._

_ He saw in his peripheral vision that Brelyna had finally caught up to him and was now kneeling at his side. "Revan, are you ok? Are you hurt?" she asked, sounding frantic as she checked him for injuries._

_ Seeing his chance, he looked up at her, letting out another groan. "I think I hurt my back when I fell. But there's only one way to check." Gathering his strength, he suddenly lunged at Brelyna and tackled her to the ground._

_ "Hey, no fair! I thought you were hurt." She shouted, but soon wrestled him onto his back. "Gotcha! I told you running wouldn't work."_

_ Revan tried to free himself, but Brelyna held him firm. "Alright, I guess you win. I surrender." He said with a grin._

_ "Good, that's what I thought." She said, still holding him firm. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear. "Now, don't say I didn't warn you."_

_ A shiver ran down Revan's spine as she said this. As she leaned down towards him, he closed his eyes….._

Revan was suddenly pulled back to consciousness by a long blue tongue licking his face. "Good boy Leekos, make sure he's completely awake." A voice said.

"Get off me beast." Revan growled, pushing the spirit wolf off himself. The wolf barked loudly, causing Revan to cover his ear. "I hear you, I hear you. Look, I'm awake now, see? Was the wolf really necessary?" he said, looking up at the source of the voice.

Tom laughed as he sat in Revan's chair. "You didn't seem like you wanted to wake up, so I figured you needed a little help. Seems to have worked, isn't that right Leekos?" the wolf trotted over to Tom and lay down at his feet, looking content.

Revan reached behind him, grabbed his pillow, and threw it at Tom. "You are definitely not a morning person, are you?" Tom said, ducking under the poor throw.

Revan sat up and rubbed the last bit of sleep from his eyes. "All these years and you still haven't figured that out?"

Tom laughed again. "Good point, my friend." He got up from the chair and moved towards the door. "Come on Leekos, let's give Revan some privacy." He said, gesturing to the wolf spirit. Leekos stood up and followed his master. Giving the wolf an affectionate pat, Tom turned back to Revan. "You'd better get moving Rev; Onmund and J'Zargo left a little while ago. Don't want to be late for our field trip."

Reaching the door, Tom opened it and walked out. He stuck his head back in the room again though and said "Must have been a pretty good dream you were having, before I woke you up. You had a huge grin plastered on your face. I'm almost sorry I interrupted it." Pulling his head back just in time to avoid another pillow, Tom walked out of the dorms, laughing all the way out.

Revan sighed and got out of his bed. Walking over to his washbasin, he splashed some water on his face to help wake up. _He's not wrong; that was a good dream _he thought as he studied his reflection. _But if it means what I think it means….. _he shook his head. _No, it was just a dream, nothing more. _

Sighing again, Revan moved over to his wardrobe and put his robes on. As he was strapping on his weapons, he thought back to his conversation with Tom the previous day. _'Come on Rev, who are you trying to fool? 'Cause I'm not buying it.' What if he's right?_

….

The sun was already high in the sky when Revan stepped outside. As he surveyed the courtyard, he saw the now familiar form of Brelyna standing in front of the archery target practicing. She had her back to him, and hadn't heard him exit the dorms. Dropping into a crouch, Revan crept up behind her. Pulling out one of his daggers, he twirled in his hand so he was holding the blade. Stopping a few feet away, he threw the dagger at the target. It hit with a loud thunk, and Brelyna jumped at the noise, causing her arrow to sail over the target and into the tree behind it.

"Revan, you scared me!" she said, shaking slightly.

Revan walked over to her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't waste the opportunity. I didn't realize you were concentrating that hard." Looking over at the target, he nodded approvingly. "You've been busy, haven't you? Have you been out here all morning?"

Brelyna nodded, putting her bow down. "Yes, I woke up early and came out here. I forgot how much fun this is." She said, a smile on her face. "But it certainly helped having such a great teacher."

Revan blushed at her praise. "Uh, thanks. I'm not really that great though. My father was the master archer; he was able to teach me a lot, but I can still get much better myself." Gesturing towards the main gate, he continued, "Anyway, we should probably get going. Tom said Onmund and J'Zargo left already for Saarthal."

Brelyna nodded as she gathered up the rest of her arrows. "Yeah, I saw them leaving earlier. They asked me if I wanted to go with them, but I said I would wait for you." She said, blushing at the end.

Revan gave her a short bow. "Well, thank you. It wasn't necessary, but having some company during the trip will be welcome. Shall we?"

They set off together across the bridge and into Winterhold. Only a few people were outside at the moment, but those that were glared at the two mages as they walked. Once they were out of Winterhold, Brelyna turned to Revan and said, "I wish they wouldn't look at us like that, like we're going to burn their homes to the ground at any moment."

Revan sighed. "Yeah, it really is a shame. Too often people judge others before they get to know them. Maybe one day, we can change their minds."

They walked in silence after that, lost in their own thoughts. Brelyna held her hood down as a gust of wind tried to pull it down. _Just tell him, get it over with. You'll never know how he feels unless you talk to him _she thought to herself. She looked over at Revan, who was watching the path ahead for danger. After a few seconds, he noticed her staring and looked over at her, giving a small smile. Brelyna blushed and looked away, pulling her hood tighter around her head. _You'll never know until you ask….._

"Revan, there's something I wanted to ask you." Brelyna said, still blushing.

Revan noticed her blush as she said this, but decided not to comment. "Sure, what did you want to know?" he said kindly. _Wonder why she' s blushing like that? _he thought.

"I was, uh, just wondering…_" This is it, ask him! _Her subconscious was practically screaming at her. But her nerves got the better of her at the last second. "Um, how did you meet Tom? You two, uh, seem very close." _Damn it._

Revan considered the question for a moment. _That's not what she wanted to ask; she wouldn't be blushing like that if it was _he thought. "Well, Tom and I have known each other a long time. In fact, I can't remember when we first met, because I don't remember not knowing him. We were practically inseparable as kids, and still to this day." He sighed at this point, as past memories came flooding back. "The hardest thing about leaving the Imperial City after my father's death was knowing I might never see Tom again." He smiled again. "But now, I don't have to worry about that anymore. Things are pretty much back to normal. But that's not what you really wanted to ask, was it?"

Brelyna looked away. "Well, there was something else…."

A voice interrupted her before she could finish. "Ah, there you two are. I'm glad you were able to make it." It was Tolfdir, standing on the edge of a small excavated pit. "Magnificent, isn't it?" he said, gesturing to the pit below.

Revan and Brelyna walked up to stand next to the old wizard and looked down into the pit. Several large creatures made of stone were moving boulders and pieces of rubble away from an ornate door set in the side of the pit. "What are those things?" Brelyna asked, secretly relieved for the distraction.

"Those are some of the College Praetorians. They serve as guardians of the College in times of emergency, but they also make for strong workers. They have only been called upon a few times, and only the Arch Mage can control them." Looking back at the two apprentices, who had now been joined by Tom, Onmund, and J'Zargo, Tolfdir continued. "Well, now that we're all here, shall we see what awaits us inside Saarthal?"

With that, the group of mages descended the wooden stairs and walked up to the door leading to the ruins. Tolfdir opened it and went inside, followed by J'Zargo and Tom. Onmund went next, looking like he would rather be somewhere else. Revan turned to Brelyna. "Well, shall we?" he said. Turning back, he opened the door and stepped inside, followed closely by Brelyna.

Inside the ruins, it was cramped and musty. A short distance away from the door was a set of stone stairs carved into the cave. Torches lined the walls going down, giving the area a gloomy look. Tolfdir was already halfway down the stairs and was clearly in his element lecturing about the ancient city.

"As some of you may know," he was saying, "Saarthal was one of the earliest Nord settlements in Skyrim. It was also one of the largest. Sacked by the elves in the infamous 'Night of Tears', not much is known about what happened to Saarthal. This is an exciting opportunity for us and for the College; who knows what we might find down here."

The mages had now entered a larger chamber. Three pillars dominated the room, with stone bridges spanning the distance between them. The entire space had clearly seen better days, as the stone was crumbling in several places and one of the bridges had been replaced with wooden planks. Trying not to look down, Revan crossed as quickly as he could, silently hoping the planks were secure. Further down the chamber, Revan could see more of the Praetorians working. The excavation was still fairly new, and every new chamber that was uncovered had to be braced against collapse.

At the bottom of the chamber, Tolfdir turned to address the apprentices. "Do any of you have any questions?" When all five shook their heads, he nodded. "Very well then. Now, I think a little bit of exploration is in order. Let's see…Onmund, J'Zargo, and Tom. Why don't you three go down this hallway here and see what you can find. Anything you come across could be valuable to learning more about this place."

Turning to Brelyna and Revan, he continued. "And you two, since you seem to work so well together, why don't you go down this hallway here and find Arniel Gane. He's the one in charge of this excavation, and might need your help. Alright everyone, let's be careful now, but have fun." With everyone given a task, Tolfdir turned and walked down the hallway he asked Brelyna and Revan to investigate.

Onmund let out a sigh as the old wizard left. "We really shouldn't be here."

Tom laughed as he put an arm around Onmund's shoulder. "Come on, big guy, where's your sense of adventure? Look, J'Zargo's having fun." He said, gesturing to the Khajiit, who had his hand inside an old urn.

"Hey, get your hands out of there! Do you have any idea what you're doing? What if there was someone buried in there?"

J'Zargo pulled his hand out of the urn and pocketed what looked like a small handful of gems and coins. "J'Zargo knows what he is doing. He is having fun, just as Tolfdir told us to do."

Tom dragged a very angry Onmund away from the mages. "Well, this is already turning out to be quite an adventure. Come on Onmund, let's be civil now." Turning back to Revan, he continued, "See you later Rev. Hope you have more fun than Onmund here." Giving a quick wink, he disappeared around the corner, J'Zargo close behind.

Revan was shaking his head, trying his hardest not to burst out laughing at the exchange. Fighting back tears, he wiped his eyes before speaking. "Well, that was certainly…..something. Come on, let's find this Arniel guy and see if he needs any help."

Walking down the hallway, Revan noticed more torches lining the wall, some new and some looking like they had been around for centuries. After turning a few corners, the two mages found a balding man looking over some charts on a table and muttering to himself. Revan walked up to the man and cleared his throat to get his attention.

The man turned around with a start and looked at the two newcomers. "Yes, who are you and what do you want?"

Revan noticed the man looked like he hadn't been sleeping much and tried to ignore the ripe odor of unwashed clothes coming from the man. "Are you Arniel Gane? We were sent to find you and see if you needed any help."

The man turned back to the charts in front of him. "Yes, you've found me. You must be the apprentices Tolfdir brought in here. Well, I haven't had a chance to look in the newest chamber we've uncovered, so if you want to search around in there go right ahead. Just please don't make a mess of my work."

Seeing that was all they would get out of him, Revan and Brelyna moved away from Arniel, who was still muttering to himself. "He looks like he needs a vacation, or at least a full night's sleep." He said when they were out of earshot.

"He clearly takes his work very personally, but I think you're right. And a change of clothes wouldn't hurt either." Brelyna concurred. Finding the chamber Arniel mentioned, Revan and Brelyna walked inside and began searching for anything interesting.

"Found some kind of enchanted ring here." Brelyna called out to Revan, who was looking further in the chamber. "Not much else though. Just some broken soul gems and some very old scrolls."

Revan had found a small chest tucked away in a corner and was rifling through its contents. "Well, you're ahead of me at this point. I haven't found anything worth mentioning yet." Finding nothing of worth in the chest, he closed the lid and stood up. "I'm going to check the next room." He called out.

Moving into the new room, Revan saw that it was almost empty. A few broken urns lined one wall, but as he scanned the room he saw something strange in a small walled-off area. Walking up to it, he saw a strange set of carvings on the wall, and settled in a small niche in the wall was a small amulet. Unsure of the significance of the amulet, Revan picked it up carefully from its niche in the wall. He had barely pulled his hand back though when several spears shot out from the floor and blocked his way back. "Brelyna! I think I might need some help here!" He shouted back to his companion.

He didn't wait even five seconds before he heard running feet approaching him. Running up to the bars, he noticed Brelyna running towards him, and with her was Tolfdir. "Revan! What happened? You're not hurt, are you?" She said anxiously as she reached the spears.

"What in the world happened in here? Are you alright my boy?" Tolfdir said.

"I don't know what happened. I picked up this amulet, and suddenly these spears appeared. There doesn't seem to be any way to lower them from in here; is there anything out there that might do it?" Revan said, less worried now that Tolfdir and Brelyna were here.

"Let me see if I can find anything." Brelyna said, moving away to search the rest of the chamber.

Tolfdir indicated the amulet still clutched in Revan's hand. "Could that amulet be important somehow? Maybe you can use it to escape?" he said.

Revan looked down at the amulet. Now that he focused on it, he could feel some kind of force emanating from the amulet, although it was very faint. "Well, worth a shot I guess." Revan said as he put the amulet on. As soon as he did so, the wall he had grabbed it from began glowing a faint reddish color. Revan walked up to the wall and noticed the power coming from the amulet was getting stronger. It felt similar to when he was casting a spell, the buildup of magicka in his hands growing stronger until it could be cast. Suddenly getting an idea, Revan charged up a small fireball in his hand and launched it at the glowing wall. The fireball hit the wall and shattered it like glass, revealing a new passageway.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting discovery. I wonder where this leads." Tolfdir said, now at Revan's side. Turning to look towards the old wizard, Revan could see that the spears that had been blocking his way had lowered and now he and Brelyna had rejoined Revan.

Revan turned back to the new passage. "Well, only one way to find out, isn't there?" he said.

Tolfdir smiled. "That's the spirit. Now, let's see what we can find." Taking the lead, Tolfdir and the two apprentices entered the new passage. As soon as they did so, Revan noticed it was much colder here than in the rest of the ruins.

"This area hasn't had too many visitors I guess." Revan said, pulling his hood up over his head.

At the end of the passage was a small room. Along each of the three walls was a tall black coffin. Each one was smooth and showed no sign of a way to open them. In the center was a small altar with some candles and some old pieces of parchment on it.

"I wonder what the significance of this room is. Why was this area sealed off from the rest of the city?" Tolfdir said, looking around at the room. Turning back to Revan and Brelyna, he continued, "I'm not sure what to expect here. Be on your guard."

Revan nodded, and his hand subconsciously dropped to his sword hilt. Tolfdir turned back to examine the altar while Brelyna was studying one of the coffins. Suddenly, the light in the room turned blue. Revan looked around at his companions, but they appeared to be frozen. "Well, this could be a problem." He said, pulling out his sword.

His suspicions seemed accurate when a flash of light appeared behind the altar. Readying himself, Revan saw a figure materialize from the light. Unsure of what to expect, he continued watching as the figure solidified into the form of a High Elf dressed in gold robes.

"Hold mage, and listen well." The strange mage said in a powerful voice.

"Doesn't appear like I have much of a choice." Revan said, mostly to himself.

The mage appeared to have not heard him as he continued, "Know that you have set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped. Judgment has not been passed, as you had no way of knowing. Judgment will be passed on your actions going forward."

"Judgment for what? What chain of events are you talking about?" Revan asked, but the mage continued to ignore him.

"This warning is passed to you because the Psijic Order believes in you. You mage, and you alone, have the potential to prevent disaster. Take great care, and know that the Order is watching." And with another flash of light, the mage was gone. Shortly after he left, the room returned to its normal color, as Brelyna and Tolfdir began moving again.

"We should let Arniel know what we've found here." Tolfdir said. "He will be most...why Revan, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Brelyna moved to Revan's side. "Are you alright? You look really pale. What is it?" she said.

Revan turned to Tolfdir. "I just saw…some kind of vision, I think. There was a flash of light, and then a mage appeared over there." He said, gesturing to the far side of the room. "He said we've set off a chain of events, and there will be judgment, and there will be some kind of disaster. Then he mentioned a 'Psijic Order'."

Tolfdir stroked his beard. "Psijic Order, you say? Hmm, and danger ahead? This doesn't make much sense, does it?" Turning to look at the coffins, he continued. "The Psijic Order has no connection to these ruins, at least none that would make any sense. And no one's even seen any of their order in a long time. Perhaps we should look inside these coffins."

"I don't see any way to open them. Whoever made them clearly didn't want anyone to get inside them." Brelyna said.

Tolfdir walked over to the coffin on the far wall. "There must be some way to open these. Hmm…." But before he could reach it, there was a crack. The front of the coffin began to fall, causing Tolfdir to jump back. "Well, that solved that. But what is that?"

He was referring to the dead body that was standing in the coffin. It's arms were crossed over its chest and it held an ancient sword in one of its hands. It was dressed in very old armor that was rotting away in places. Tolfdir walked up to examine it. "I believe this is a draugr. Fascinating, I've never seen one up close before."

Revan watched the draugr warily. "Draugr? Never heard of them. What is it?"

Tolfdir turned back to Revan. "Back in the days of the dragons, there were many Nords who worshipped the beasts as gods. When the dragons were defeated, many of these Nords were sealed away in tombs, destined to never see Sovngarde and the afterlife. Some of them still wander the tombs as guardians, protecting their brethren and the secrets of their tombs." Looking over the draugr, Tolfdir continued, "This one is in excellent condition. I wonder if we can get some of the Praetorians to pull this coffin out."

Suddenly, the draugr's eyes opened. With a low growl, it lowered its arms and stepped out of its coffin. Tolfdir stepped back quickly as the draugr advanced towards the mages.

"I'm not really caught up on a lot of Nord traditions, but where I come from, the dead usually stay dead." Revan said as he stepped in between the draugr and his companions.

Growling once more, the draugr raised its sword and swung at Revan. Easily blocking the clumsy swing, Revan pulled his sword back and chopped at the draugr's knee. It wasn't able to get it's sword in place to block and let out another growl when Revan's sword hit its target. Unable to support itself on one leg, the draugr dropped to one knee, and with the opening Revan swung his sword at the draugr's neck. It's growls were silenced as its head rolled across the floor.

There was no time for celebration however as the other two coffins opened as well, revealing two more draugr. "Well, this should be fun." Revan said, raising his sword. Before he could move to engage his next opponent however, an arrow whizzed past his ear and embedded itself in the draugr's eye. With a gurgle, it collapsed dead on the floor. The last draugr was blasted with flames from Tolfdir until it collapsed dead as well.

Revan turned back to see Brelyna wielding her bow. "Nice shot Brelyna!" Revan said, beaming.

Brelyna looked stunned as she lowered her bow. "I….I can't believe I did it. I can't believe it's dead." She suddenly looked like she would be sick.

Revan rushed to her side, holding her shoulders. "Are you ok? You look like you're about to be sick."

Brelyna shuddered slightly. "I've….never killed anything before." She said softly.

Revan squeezed her shoulders. "It's hard, I know. I felt the same way when I first killed something. I wish I could say it gets easier, but it really doesn't." Smiling now, he continued. "But if you hadn't shot it, it might have sliced me into pieces. So I believe I owe you a thank you."

Brelyna laughed a bit at this. "The way you handled that first one, I think you would have been ok. But you're welcome just the same." _He's right though, it would have been terrible if he had gotten hurt, or worse, killed…._

"Excellent work, both of you." Tolfdir said, beaming at the pair. "Shall we continue? It looks like we have a way forward now." He walked over to the coffin on the right side of the room. Sure enough, another passage had been uncovered, leading deeper into the ruin.

"Are you going to be ok Brelyna?" Revan asked, still concerned.

Brelyna smiled and nodded. "Yes, I think so. I think that pep talk helped. Thank you Revan." She said, still smiling.

The two apprentices stepped through the coffin and into the next passage. Across from them, another coffin lay, but its contents had been crushed by a large boulder that fell from the ceiling. A set of stone stairs led further down into the tomb, and at the bottom was a locked gate. Flanking it on either side were skeletons still shackled to the wall. Next to the gate was a stone lever. Tolfdir walked over and pulled it, raising the gate. The mages continued into the next room.

This room was circular and much larger than the first chamber they had entered. More of the ominous coffins lined the room, and in the center was a bridge made of stone. The bridge crossed over a grate, and when Revan looked down, he was amazed at what he saw. The chamber went down much farther, and lining the sides were more coffins, all the way to the bottom.

"Amazing, just look at all these coffins." Tolfdir said, walking onto the bridge. As he did so, there was a loud scraping as more spears covered the door leading forward and the gate they just entered crashed shut. Several of the coffins lining the wall suddenly opened, revealing more draugr.

"Things just got a lot more interesting." Revan said, pulling out his bow and aiming an arrow at the nearest draugr. Releasing an arrow, he turned to aim at the next one, only to see it cut down by a flurry of fireballs coming from his left. Looking at the source, he saw Brelyna standing next to a Fire Atronach, both launching firebolts at the draugr. Turning back, he saw Tolfdir blasting another draugr from the bridge, bringing it down with a combination of fire and lightning.

The combined power of the three mages was too much for the draugr, and soon the room was silent once more except for the subtle hissing of Brelyna's Atronach as it hovered over the bodies.

"It's good to see that you two can handle yourselves in a fight." Tolfdir said as he descended the bridge and walked over to the apprentices. Looking around at the room now that they were no longer under attack, Tolfdir was clearly amazed by it. "I've never seen anything like this in Nordic ruins before. This must be the aftermath of the Night of Tears."

Turning back to Revan, he continued, "This bears closer inspection. I think I'll stay a while and examine this. You two should continue on ahead. See if you can find what your vision mentioned. But if it is truly dangerous, be careful. I will rejoin you soon."

Revan nodded and turned to look at the door leading onward. The spears were still in place blocking their way, but along either side were a set of chains with a ring at the end. Motioning Brelyna to pull one, Revan walked up to the other and pulled. With both chains pulled, the spears retracted and the door opened, leading deeper into the ancient city. Revan put his bow away and drew his sword. "Well, shall we?" he said to Brelyna. With a nod from her, they continued through the door.

Once through the door, they looked around the new room they were in. It was a wider corridor leading deeper, and along both sides were indents in the wall big enough to allow bodies to lay. Several skeletons were laying in these spaces, but Revan was thankful that no draugr were wandering around this area. More urns lay in various states of disrepair around the room. _Wonder how much gold J'Zargo's found already. _Revan thought himself, shaking his head in amusement.

Continuing up a small set of stairs, they found themselves surrounded by more coffins and skeletons on both sides. Once again, no draugr came out to greet them, but Revan had a sneaking suspicion that was about to change. At the end of this area was a wooden staircase leading upwards. After ascending, Revan looked around to see where to go next. Noticing a door to their left, he also noticed a draugr pacing in front of it, grumbling to itself. Motioning Brelyna back down the stairs, he crouched and pulled out his bow. "He hasn't seen us yet. Let's try and take him out silently just in case there's more." He whispered to Brelyna.

She nodded and pulled out her bow. They both strung arrows and aimed at the pacing draugr. "When he reaches the right side, we both fire. Ready?" Revan whispered. See her nod, Revan aimed down the arrow, watching the draugr. When it reached the right side of the room, it stopped to turn, and was struck dead by two arrows in its back. With a small gurgle, it collapsed dead. Revan then waited to make sure nothing else had been woken up before quietly moving forward. He reached the draugr and pulled out the two arrows after confirming it was truly dead. Wiping the blood off of them, he handed one to Brelyna who replaced it in her quiver. "Another excellent shot. At this rate, you'll be better than me one day." Revan said, giving her a smile.

She returned the smile. "Well, I had a great teacher after all. It certainly helped. Come on, let's keep moving. This place is starting to creep me out."

Nodding in agreement, Revan pushed open the door previously guarded by the draugr. They passed through and found themselves in another corridor. More candles lined either side as they continued forward. Turning a corner, they saw the corridor continued farther down but ended in a gate. Revan could see a lever sitting on a small stone pillar in front of the gate, but instinct told him it couldn't be that easy. As they walked, they passed several stone pillars on either side with animal carvings on them. Revan paused to get a closer look at one. It had what appeared to be a hawk or an eagle on it. On the other sides were a snake and what appeared to be a whale. Unsure of the significance of the pillars, Revan looked up behind it and noticed a snake carved into the wall above the pillar. It was the same design as the one on the pillar.

An idea forming in his head, Revan grabbed the pillar and rotated it so the snake carving was facing outward. "Let's try this and see what happens." He said to Brelyna. "Turn the pillars so the side facing out matches the carving above it."

After walking back down the hallway to make sure each pillar matched its wall carving, Revan stepped up to the lever. "Well, let's see if this worked." He said, not entirely sure. Bracing himself, he pulled the lever. To his relief, the gate opened and the path ahead was clear.

"Good thinking Revan. How did you know that would work?" Brelyna asked.

"Honestly, it was just a guess." He said. "Glad it worked though. Come on, we've got to be getting close to the end of this place."

Another set of stairs led down into a much larger open area. A large stone pillar dominated the center of the room, and Revan could see a set of wooden stairs leading up one side. They had just started up the stairs when they heard the now familiar sound of a draugr approaching. Looking up, Revan saw it standing at the top of the stairs. This one had a large battle-axe, and was advancing on the two friends. Motioning Brelyna back, Revan drew his sword and waited. The draugr, apparently not the patient type, growled and charged at Revan. Waiting until the last second, Revan dodged the blow and plunged his sword into its back. It was finished off by a firebolt to the chest, courtesy of Brelyna. Nodding his thanks, Revan pulled his sword out of the draugr and wiped the blood off with a small rag he carried. Replacing it in its scabbard, Revan and Brelyna climbed the rest of the stairs.

Past the next door, they found themselves in yet another corridor lined with candles. Passing through led them to another hallway with a gate at the end, a lever in front of it. "Well, we've certainly seen this puzzle before, haven't we?" Revan said, turning one of the pillars to match the carving above it. As he did so, the other three pillars rotated as well.

"Well that's different." Brelyna said, turning another pillar. This time, only one additional pillar moved. "Revan, move the one next to you. I have an idea." Revan complied, moving the pillar to match its carving. Two pillars turned when this one rotated, causing Revan to start to see the pattern.

"I think I see where you're going with this Brelyna. Let's try this one." Revan said, moving to the last pillar. He rotated it, and nothing else happened.

"Ok, so that first pillar moves all the rest, but no other pillar moves that one. So let's get that one set first." Brelyna said, rotating it to match its carving.

"Got it. Now this one next to it moves all but the first one, so that's next." Revan said, matching its carving.

"Right, then this one only moves the last one, so we get this one set and….got it." Brelyna said, rotating the last two pillars. "Well, here goes nothing." She said, grasping the lever and pulling. Once again, the gate opened, allowing them to continue.

"Excellent work you two." Came the voice of Tolfdir behind them. "I thought it high time I caught up with you."

Revan and Brelyna turned to see Tolfdir walking up to them. "You didn't have any trouble reaching us, did you?" Revan asked, hoping he hadn't run into any draugr they could have missed.

Tolfdir smiled. "No, the way was clear. Good work clearing everything out. Now, I think we're close to finding the secrets of this place. Let's press on."

The mages walked through the gate and down more stairs, leading to another door. Once they opened it, they saw….something.


	8. Ghosts of Yesterday

And here we go, chapter 8. I know, the suspense was killing you. Took a bit longer than i would have liked to get this out, but hopefully the chapter itself will make up for that.

As always, feel free to leave any and all feedback. Enjoy!

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 8: Ghosts of Yesterday**

"Well, would you look at that?" Tolfdir said, looking at what they had found. It was a large glowing orb, held suspended by some unseen force and shrouded in some kind of magical field. They descended the wooden stairs and walked up to the strange orb.

"I've never seen anything like this before. What could it be? And why is it buried so far beneath Saarthal?" Tolfdir said to himself.

Revan was about to reply when he heard growling behind him. Turning around, he saw a draugr that had been sitting on a small throne rising up from it. This one looked much stronger than those they had faced previously. Its helmet and armor seemed to be made of stronger materials, and it was glowing the same color as the orb.

"Certainly doesn't look happy to see us, does he?" Brelyna asked, fire forming in her hands. The draugr let out a growl, then charged at the mages. Brelyna launched a volley of firebolts it, hitting it in the chest multiple times.

But while the force of the bolts had stopped the momentum of the beast, no visible damage had been done. Rolling its shoulders, the draugr let out a raspy chuckle. "Alright, let's try this then." Revan said, stepping forward and releasing twin streams of lightning at the draugr.

Once again, while the lightning arced all across the draugr's body, no damage was done. Revan kept up the pressure, but as his magicka reserves ran out, the lightning began to fizzle out. Cutting off the streams, Revan quickly dodged the retaliatory swing from the draugr's sword.

"Nothing's working. How are we supposed to kill this thing?" Revan said, panting as he backed away.

Tolfdir looked over at the orb floating behind the draugr. "I have an idea. Keep it busy, and I'll try to drain its power." He said, moving towards the orb.

"Might be easier said than done." Revan said, drawing his sword as the draugr advanced towards him. Letting out another growl, the draugr raised its sword and brought down on Revan. Revan's blade clashed with the draugr's, and it took all his strength to keep it from taking his head off. The two struggled for several seconds, the two blades locked together.

But while the draugr was undead and thus never got tired, Revan had severely drained his strength when he tried frying the draugr. Slowly, Revan's blade was pushed back, even as he fought to hold it up. Sweat beaded on his brow as he struggled, but his arms were shaking slightly now, threatening to give out at any moment. Seeing his only option, Revan ducked under the draugr's blade and rolled away as it came crashing down.

Getting back on his feet, Revan swung his sword down on the draugr's back. He was stunned however when the blade was stopped just before connecting. Pulling the sword back, Revan swung again, this time intending to cut off the draugr's head. But once again, his sword was stopped just short of its target.

As Revan attempted a third strike, the draugr suddenly reached out and grabbed the sword blade. Revan tried to pull it back, but the draugr's grip was too strong. Letting out another raspy chuckle, the draugr ripped the sword from Revan's grasp, causing him to stumble forward. Before he could even think about fighting back, an undead hand grabbed his throat and hoisted him into the air.

Struggling in vain against the vice grip around his throat, Revan's vision began to grow dim. He thought he could hear Brelyna shouting his name, but he wasn't able to respond. As his vision darkened, he saw the draugr's face before him.

"Nu, dir sahlo fahliil." {_Now, die puny elf_} The draugr said in its raspy voice as its grip tightened. Revan's world turned black….

The next thing Revan knew, he was on the ground, gasping desperately for air. Still figuring out what happened, he saw that the draugr crumpled in a heap in front of him, his sword embedded in its back. He felt someone kneel down next to him and check him for injuries.

"Revan, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Brelyna asked nervously, still checking for injuries.

Revan had to cough a couple times before he could speak. "Yeah, I'm fine, I think." He said hoarsely. He coughed again. "Is it finally dead?" he said, gesturing to the draugr.

Brelyna nodded. "Yes, I think it is. Tolfdir was able to drain some of the orb's power, which seemed to weaken it. And as you can see, I had to borrow your sword."

Tolfdir joined the two apprentices and helped Brelyna pull Revan to his feet. "Are you alright my boy?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks for weakening that thing when you did. I'd have been a goner otherwise." Looking over at the orb floating before them, he continued, "So, anyone have any idea what this thing might be, or what it might be doing here?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen anything like it before." Tolfdir said, walking over to the orb. "I don't recognize these designs at all, but I will say that whatever this thing is, it's fascinating. Who knows what it might be, or what it might do."

Tolfdir turned to Brelyna and Revan, who was now standing on his own. "I don't dare leave this unattended. If you two could please get back to the College and inform the Arch-Mage of what we've found, I will find Arniel and we'll see if this thing can be moved."

Revan nodded. "Sure, we'll let the Arch-Mage know." He moved towards the door behind the orb, moving stiffly due his battle with the draugr. He opened the door, revealing another torch lit passage. After a short walk, they emerged into a small chamber. The floor was overgrown with weeds, and dominating the room was a wall with strange carvings on it.

Revan approached the wall curiously, not sure what the carvings were. They were nothing he had ever seen before, almost as though whoever carved them had used claws to do so. As Revan got closer though, he thought he heard some kind of chanting, but as though from a distance. His head began to hurt the closer he got, so he stepped back. As he did so, the chanting stopped and his head stopped hurting.

"Are you sure you're alright Revan?" Brelyna asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Revan said. "Did you hear something just now?"

Brelyna shook her head. "No, I didn't hear anything. You're sure you're alright?" she said, still sounding concerned.

Revan thought for a minute. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, we should get back to the Arch-Mage."

Continuing past the strange wall, Revan and Brelyna came across another iron door. Opening it, they found themselves back in the excavation area. Ahead, they could see several figures looking around. As they got closer, Revan could see that they had found Tom, Onmund, and J'Zargo. An idea came to him, and he motioned for Brelyna to stay quiet. She gave him a confused look, but when she saw the mischievous look in his eyes, she understood.

Revan pulled out his bow and strung an arrow. Aiming very carefully, he waited until Tom had stopped to examine a chest lying on the ground. Revan released the arrow, which whizzed past Tom and hit the wall in front of him. With a surprised yell, Tom whipped around and summoned his wolf spirit. Stepping out of the darkness, Revan tried his hardest to stifle his laughter as Tom realized who had shot at him.

"Revan, why….you….you….." Tom stammered, unable to find an appropriate insult.

Revan walked up to Tom, tapping him on the chest with his bow. "We're even. For now." He said, laughing at the shocked expression still on his friend's face.

Tom stared at Revan for a moment, then began laughing. "I guess you got me Rev. Looks like I have my work cut out for me." Pausing to wipe his eye, he continued, "So how did you two get here? You were on the other side of the ruins."

"Long story, I'll have to fill you in later. Right now, Brelyna and I need to get back to the College. You might want to head back through that door and see if Tolfdir needs any help." Revan said, gesturing to the door he had come from.

Tom nodded, though with a confused look on his face. "Alright, I guess you can fill me in later. But what might Tolfdir need help with? What did you guys find?"

Revan shook his head. "We'll talk later. See you back at the College." He said as he began walking out of the chamber, Brelyna right behind him.

Tom turned back to Onmund and J'Zargo. "Well, might as well go see what they found, eh?"

Onmund nodded. "Must be something really important for them to go back to the College. Maybe they're going to get the Arch-Mage?"

Tom shrugged. "Guess we'll find out. Come on guys."

"By the way, do you think the bet is still on?" Onmund asked as they opened the door leading back to Tolfdir.

….

The trip back to the College was thankfully uneventful, which Revan was ok with as he was still hurting from his encounter with the draugr guarding the strange orb. The sun was beginning to set as they crossed the bridge into the College, and the wind was picking up. He and Brelyna reached the main gate, which opened for them.

"I'm glad made it back safely. Why don't you go on ahead and find the Arch-Mage? I'll take our stuff back to our rooms, and then I'll join you, alright?" Brelyna said as they walked inside.

Revan nodded. "Alright, sounds like a plan." He said as he handed her his bow and quiver. She took them and headed to the dorms, while Revan crossed the courtyard to the Hall of Elements.

Revan pulled open the doors leading to the Hall, and was immediately sent flying back as someone rushed outside. Revan hit the ground heavily, and in a slight daze looked around for the one who had run into him. Lying near him was one of the senior apprentices, but Revan did not recognize him.

Groaning and clutching his head, the apprentice looked over at Revan. "Don't you know to watch where you're going?" He said.

Revan got up gingerly, the aches from his fight in Saarthal returning full force once more. "I could say the same to you." He said, holding out a hand to the apprentice.

The apprentice accepted the hand grudgingly, and with Revan's help stood up. "Well, I suppose I could have been a bit more careful. Thanks." He said, brushing the snow off his robes.

Revan saw that the apprentice had dropped a bag, and its contents had spilled out onto the snow. "Here, let me get those for you." He said, scooping up several books and putting them back into the bag. As he did so, he noticed that several of them were very old, and looked quite valuable.

Pulling the drawstring tight, Revan held the bag out to the apprentice. "Here you are. Hope none of these are damaged; some of them look very valuable." But as the apprentice reached for the bag, Revan heard a distant voice behind him.

"Orthorn! Where did you run off to? I swear, by Malacath, I will find you." The voice said. Revan recognized it as the voice of Urag Gro'Shub, the Orc librarian. Realizing where the book had come from, Revan pulled his hand back.

"What are you doing? Give those to me!" Orthorn said, who was starting to panic. "Quick, before that old fool gets out here!"

Revan shook his head as he drew his sword. "I don't think so. These belong to the Arcaneum, and I won't let you take them." He pointed his sword at Orthorn. "But if you turn around and leave right now, I may delay Urag long enough for you to disappear."

Orthorn looked like he was about to attack Revan, but with Urag not far behind, his courage failed him. "Fine, just take them. This isn't worth the trouble. Just please, keep him busy for a few minutes."

Revan nodded, and Orthorn turned and fled out of the courtyard. Revan put his sword back in its sheath and turned back just as Urag burst out of the Hall.

"You! Where has that miserable Orthorn gotten to?" he said angrily, two Storm Atronachs close behind him.

Revan held up the bag of books. "I'm sorry sir, but he got away. He did leave this behind however. Is this what you are looking for?"

Urag grunted. "More like let him get away. Probably for the best though, or at least best for him." Urag held out a hand, and Revan gave him the bag. "At least you managed to get these back. Some of these are priceless. Now, if you'll excuse me." The Orc said as he turned and walked back into the Hall, the Atronachs trailing behind like faithful dogs.

Revan shook his head in mild amusement before following the librarian into the Hall. Once inside, he turned left and ascended the stairs leading to the Arch-Mage's quarters. At the top was a wooden door. Revan approached it and knocked.

After a few seconds, he heard a voice inside say, "Come in."

Revan opened the door and stepped inside. Looking around, he had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. The Arch-Mage's quarters were very spacious; bookshelves lined one side and were filled with all manner of books and scrolls. Looking around, Revan saw Savos Aren sitting at a desk with a book in his hands.

"Ah, Revan, good to see you again. What can I do for you?" Savos said, closing the book he had been reading.

"Sir, I've just come from the Saarthal excavation, and while we were there, we found something." Revan replied.

Savos stood up from his chair. "Yes, I remember that Tolfdir said he was taking the junior apprentices there today. Well, what did you find? I assume it must be something important."

Revan thought for a moment on how to describe the orb they had found. "Well sir, we're not really sure what we've found. It's some kind of large orb that was surrounded by an energy field. We were able to lower the field and gain access to the orb, but we really have no idea what it is or what it does."

Savos stroked his beard in thought. "Hmm, well, that certainly sounds like it could be something important. Is Tolfdir still in Saarthal?" When Revan nodded, Savos turned towards his wardrobe and pulled out a small pack. "Then I shall leave at once. You did well in getting back here so quickly Revan. Thank you for this information." Turning back to Revan, he continued, "Now, it's getting late, and you look exhausted. Go get some rest, and tomorrow I would like you to go to the Arcaneum and find out anything you can on this orb. Ask Urag if you need assistance."

Revan gave a short bow to the Arch-Mage. "Of course sir, I will." Stifling a yawn, Revan followed the Arch-Mage back down the stairs and out into the courtyard.

They had just passed the Hall of Attainment when Savos stopped and turned to Revan. "Oh, I almost forgot. While you were gone, a courier dropped off a package for you. I believe it's currently in your room."

Revan nodded. "Um, ok, I guess I'll go see what it is. Stay safe sir." He said. With a nod and smile, the Arch-Mage walked out of the College.

Confused as to what might have been sent to him, Revan opened the door into the dorms. He hadn't really thought about it until now, but he was immensely tired. _I'm just glad this day will be over soon _he thought as he made his way to his room. Yawning again, he opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, sitting on his bed was a small chest. Walking over to it, he saw a letter was sitting on top of the chest. His confusion growing, Revan picked up the letter and opened it.

_Dear Mr. Revan Midley,_

_ I hope this letter finds you well. I admit, I wasn't exactly sure where I might find you. I hired several different couriers to deliver this to you, but none of them could find you. I had one last idea however, when I remember you mentioning you might one day attend the College of Winterhold._

_ Several months ago, while cleaning out the attic of your father's shop to accommodate a new expansion, I came across this chest. I am not sure if you left it behind intentionally or if you merely overlooked it, but I thought it best to return it to you as soon as I could. I am not sure what might be inside as I did not wish to intrude if it is something private, but it appears to be quite old._

_ I hope you are well, and if you are enrolled in the College, I hope your studies are going well. Please do come visit someday; you are always welcome._

_ Warmest regards,_

_ Ra'Mhirr_

_ Editor, Black Horse Courier_

Revan smiled as he read the letter, tears forming in his eyes. _I'll come visit one day Ra'Mhirr, I promise._ Folding the letter and replacing it in its envelope, Revan studied the chest. It was indeed very old, much older than him. He didn't recognize the designs that covered it, nor the inscriptions carved into the top. He was about to open it when there was a knock.

"Revan, are you in there? It's Brelyna."

Wiping his eyes hastily, Revan opened the door, revealing Brelyna and Tom standing outside.

"Come on now, I know you missed me, but you don't have to cry about it." Tom said, noticing the tear marks on Revan's face.

"What can I say? I was hoping you weren't coming back, but I guess I'm stuck with you for a while longer." Revan said with feigned frustration, causing Tom to laugh.

Brelyna let out an exaggerated sigh. "Sometimes I can't tell when you two are joking or not."

"The sign of a good friendship." Tom replied with a smile. Turning back to Revan, he continued, "So really Rev, what is it?"

Revan beckoned them inside and closed the door behind them. "I got a letter and this chest from Ra'Mhirr. He said he was cleaning out the attic of the shop when he found it, and figured I should have it."

"Ra'Mhirr, huh? How is that furball? Still writing that paper?" Tom said with an amused look on his face.

"Seems to be, at least from his signature. Didn't really say much though." Revan said, turning to the chest. "I was just about to open it."

Brelyna walked over to the chest to examine it. "I've never seen symbols like these before. What do you think they are?" she said, tracing some of the symbols with a finger.

Revan shrugged. "No idea. This must have been something my father had, or maybe my mother." He said, the last few words trailing off as he continued to stare at the chest.

Tom reached out and put a hand on Revan's shoulder. "You alright Rev?" Revan nodded, but continued staring at the chest. "Come on, I'll help you open it." Tom said, putting a hand on one side of the lid. Revan did the same on the other side, and after exchanging a look, they opened the chest.

A musty smell filled the room, along with some dust that had been disturbed by the lid opening. Waving his hand over the chest to clear the dust, Revan pulled out the contents. A leather tunic and pants took up one side of the chest. They were clearly very old, and seemed to have gone through numerous repairs. Most of the leather was black, but various parts were a deep scarlet color, giving it a sinister look. There were also several pouches attached to the belt and a full hood on the tunic. Setting it aside, Revan dug out the rest of the contents. Several old letters, a couple of journals, and a matching pair of daggers came out, which Revan laid out on his bed. Many of the letters were so old the ink had faded to the point of them being illegible. The journals had fared much better, with only minor wear on the covers. Revan flipped one open to look inside the cover. Written in the corner were the words _Varis Midley._

"Well, that confirms my suspicion about this stuff belonging to my dad." Revan said, flipping forward to a random page.

_Turdas-_

_ Kill went well. That old Breton never saw it coming. Snuck into his house, waited until he finished his shift in the mines, and slit his throat as he slept. Another soul joins the Dread Father. I plan to take some time off after this contract; a vacation sounds like a good idea to me right now._

Revan almost dropped the book when he finished the passage, the blood draining from his face. Tom finished shortly after Revan did, and he too was very pale. "Revan, I don't suppose your father mentioned he was in the Dark Brotherhood, did he?"

Unable to speak, Revan shook his head. Dropping the journal onto his bed, he fell into his chair, his face in his hands.

"I always looked up to him. He taught me just about everything I know." Revan said, his voice muffled by his hands. "He never did give me a straight answer whenever I asked him where he learned all his various skills, or what he did before he opened the shop. I guess I know now."

Brelyna walked over and knelt down next to Revan. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this Revan. I can't even begin to imagine how you must feel." She said quietly.

Revan was silent for several seconds before speaking again. "If it's alright with you two, I think I'd like to be alone."

Brelyna nodded. "If that's what you want, we'll leave you be. Come on Tom, let's give him some space." Patting his arm, she stood up and left the room, Tom right behind her. They closed the door and walked down the hallway towards their respective rooms. "I wish I could say something, anything, to make things better, but I don't even know where to start." She said, looking back towards Revan's room.

Tom sighed. "Me neither. I'm at a loss right now. I think he just needs some time to come to terms with everything. I may try talking to him tomorrow." He turned back to Brelyna. "Anyway, it's getting late. Good night Brelyna." He said, as he walked into his room and closed the door.

Brelyna stood in the hallway for a while after Tom's door closed, still looking towards Revan's door. _I'm so sorry Revan. I wish there was something I could say or do to make things better _she thought. Letting out a sigh, she went into her own room. _I just need to let him know that I'm there for him, if he needs me. I'll make sure he gets through this._

…

Revan sat with his head in his hands for what seemed like ages, his thoughts in turmoil. Why hadn't his father ever told him about his past life? Sure, he might have reacted in a similar way, but at least they could have talked about it and things might turn out for the good. Now though, with his father long gone, Revan was left to suffer on his own.

Finally coming to a decision, Revan stood up and walked over to the chest. He picked up the stack of letters and threw them inside. Closing the journal he had been reading, he dropped it along with its companion into the chest as well. He grabbed the tunic and pants and stuffed them in as well. The only thing remaining were the daggers, and as Revan was about to drop them in, he hesitated. _Maybe these will come in handy one day. Even though they were used by a murderer, maybe some good can come from them _he thought, putting the daggers back on the bed.

With everything back in the chest, Revan picked it up and carried it outside. He crossed the courtyard and went out onto the bridge. The drop down to the sea below would more than likely kill anyone who fell, so Revan was extremely careful not to slip. Setting the chest down, he conjured up flames into his hands and set the chest on fire. When it was well-lit, Revan carefully pushed it over the edge of the bridge, and watched it fall until it landed in the sea. Satisfied with the results, Revan walked back into the dorms and into his room. Putting the daggers into the nightstand next to his bed, he disrobed and climbed into bed. Sleep soon overcame him, and he drifted off into his dreams.

Thanks goes to the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages ( ) for the Draconic language.


	9. Things That Go Boom in the Night

**Hey everyone.**

**So, yeah, it's been a while, and I sincerely apologize to the few people who read this story still. The last few weeks have been hell, what with work being crazy, and me being sick for almost a week, I just haven't had the time or energy to write much lately. But I finally decided to sit down and crank this one out, so here you go. Hope you all are having a good year so far (Me, not so much), so without further ado, I present chapter 9.**

**As always, feel free to leave any and all feedback.**

**Also, be sure to keep reading at the end, as I will be announcing a small "contest". Read below for more information.**

**Winterhold's Finest**

**Chapter 9: Things That Go Boom in the Night**

_Snow had been falling steadily for the last hour. For some reason, the falling snow gave her comfort as she stood in front of the window. Night was coming soon, giving the sky an orange glow. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. She stayed that way for some time, and didn't move when she heard her door open and someone walk in._

_ A pair of hands gently landed her shoulders and began to slowly massage them, causing her to let out a soft moan. The hands moved lower, kneading the muscles in her upper back. This continued for several seconds, but eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. Turning around, she saw the man she loved, Revan. Without a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward and embraced him, her lips meeting his. _

_ They remained this way for some time, each savoring the feeling of the other's embrace. Finally, she broke the kiss, leaning back to stare at Revan's face. A smile grew on her face, and with only a nod, she began to step back, pulling Revan with her. He smiled now as well as he guided her back towards the bed. With a laugh, she pulled him down onto the bed, where their lips met again, this time with increased passion. 'I hope this isn't just a dream' she thought as their passion escalated…._

Brelyna woke up suddenly, shattering the dream she had been having. _I just had to ruin it, just when it was getting good _she thought sadly, remembering what had happened. She sat up, noticing her breathing was heavier than normal. _It may have been a dream, but it felt so real_ she thought as she rubbed her eyes. Stifling a yawn, she got up and walked over to her mirror. _Maybe it felt so real because I wish it were real _she thought as she splashed water on her face. _I need to tell him, today._ Her mind made up, Brelyna moved over to her wardrobe to get dressed.

….

Fully awake and clothed, Brelyna walked out of her room. She looked down the hall and noticed that Revan's door was still closed. _I hope he's alright after yesterday _she thought as she approached his door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. From the other side, she heard, "It's open."

Brelyna opened the door and stepped inside. Revan was sitting in his chair, the assassin daggers in his lap. "Good morning Revan. Did you sleep alright?" she asked, sitting on his bed.

Revan shook his head. "No, not really. Still trying to come to terms with everything." He said, still looking at the daggers.

Brelyna nodded. "I'm sure it's a lot to take in." They were silent for several seconds, Brelyna still trying to summon enough courage to say what she wanted to say. "You know, if you ever want to talk, about anything, you can talk to me."

Revan looked up and smiled weakly. "Thanks Brelyna, that means a lot, honestly." He hesitated a moment before continuing. "I've been on my own for so long, it's nice to have someone to talk to. Besides Tom, I didn't really have anyone else in my life that I could trust, until I came here. So, thank you."

Brelyna reached out and took Revan's hand. "I can relate to that. My family has always been pushing me to be as good as they are, but I don't want that. I just want to be who I am, and to do the best that I can. You're the first person I met who didn't judge me for my ancestry; I'm glad I met you." _Now's my chance_.

Revan squeezed Brelyna's hand, his smile growing wider. "I'm glad I met you too." They sat there, staring at each other for several moments, before Revan spoke again. "Well, I should probably get over to the Arcaneum. The Arch-Mage wanted me to see if there was any information about the orb we found. Would you care to join me?"

Brelyna blushed slightly, but nodded. "Yes, I'd like that." She said, releasing Revan's hand. _Maybe then I can stop being such a coward and just tell him_ she thought as she stood up.

Revan stood up as well, putting the daggers on his bedside table. "I need to finish getting dressed first before we go."

Brelyna nodded. "Ok, I'll meet you outside then." She said, turning to leave. But before she reached the door, she turned back and walked up to Revan. Before he could say anything, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thanks again Revan, for everything." Turning back so he couldn't see her blush, she walked out quickly, closing the door behind her.

Revan stood there motionless for several moments, his mind racing. _Well that was….unexpected _he thought. Reaching up to touch the spot her lips had touched, he smiled. _I could get used to that though._

….

"Saarthal, huh? Trying to find out more about that orb thing you found?" Urag said from behind his desk. "You're in luck. That idiot Orthorn almost ran off with the exact book you need. Let me go get it."

Revan nodded. "Happy to help. And don't worry, I won't run off with it." He said.

Urag just grunted as he rummaged through one of the bookshelves. "Ah, here it is, 'Night of Tears'." He walked back to his desk and handed the book to Revan. "Try to keep this in good condition please."

Revan accepted the book. "Thank you, I'll take good care of it." He said, getting another grunt in response before Urag returned to his own book. Turning back, Revan noticed Brelyna had wandered off to look at one of the bookshelves. Looking at her face from the side, she appeared to be deep in thought. _Wonder what she's thinking about _he thought as he walked up to her. "Hey, you ok?" he asked gently.

Brelyna jumped slightly, not realizing he was standing next to her. "What? Oh, yes, I'm ok." She said, not sounding entirely convinced. "Actually, no, there's something I wanted to ask you Revan."

"Brelyna, you can ask me anything. What's going on?" Revan said, trying not to sound worried. She gestured him over to a table situated between two bookshelves. Revan nodded and made his way to it, Brelyna right behind him. Pulling out one of the chairs, Revan sat down. "Does this have anything to do with what you wanted to talk about yesterday?" he asked kindly.

Brelyna nodded. "Yes, it does. I've been meaning to ask you this for some time now. I was just wondering, if..." she began.

She was interrupted by a voice coming from behind them however. "Mr. Midley, I've been looking for you."

_Moments earlier_

"Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean, it seems like we're violating their privacy." Onmund whispered.

"Don't you want to know if anything happens?" Tom whispered back, his eyes fixed on Revan and Brelyna. "Everything's been building up to this point, I'm sure of it. Now shut up before they hear you."

Onmund shook his head, but his gaze was also fixed on the nearby table. They weren't able to hear what was being said, but Onmund could guess based on their body language. "I just wish we could know what they were saying."

"What who is saying?" said a voice from behind them. Onmund jumped back and almost fell over. "It's not polite to spy on others you know." Said Ancano, who had come up behind them.

"I…uh….uh….I think I hear J'Zargo calling us, Tom. We should go." Onmund stammered before running off, Tom right behind him.

Ancano smirked as the two apprentices raced off. _Seems this school could use some discipline. Perhaps I should bring this up Emissary Elenwen when I return to the Embassy _he thought as he approached Revan.

"Mr. Midley, I've been looking for you." Ancano said as he reached the table.

Revan looked up at the Thalmor agent. "Well sir, you've found me. What can I do for you?"

Ancano smiled. "Right to the point, good. I was hoping you could tell me why a mage from the Psijic Order is in the Arch-Mage's quarters, and why he is asking to speak to you."

Revan's eyes widened. "The Psijic Order? Here? What do they want with me?" he asked.

Ancano's smile faded. "He did not say. He was adamant that he speak to you, so here I am. Follow me please." Ancano turned and began walking away.

Revan sighed. "Guess I should follow him." Looking at Brelyna, he smiled. "We'll talk more after I find out what's going on, ok?"

Brelyna nodded. "Ok, see you soon." She said, as Revan stood up and followed Ancano out of the Arcaneum. Once he was out of earshot, she sighed. _Once again, so close. Why is this so hard? _She thought, putting her head down on the table. _Well, while I'm waiting, I might as well get some work done_. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small notebook and opened it. _Now, where was I?_

….

A knock on the door interrupted the Arch-Mage's thoughts. "Ah, that must be Ancano. Hopefully he was able to find Revan." He said as he moved to the door. He opened it to reveal Ancano and Revan.

"Arch-Mage Aren, I've found him." Ancano said as he walked into the room, Revan behind him.

"Revan, good to see you again." Savos said, noticing Revan's cautious stance as he entered the room. Letting out a chuckle, he continued, "I assure you, you are not in any trouble. Our guest here wanted to speak to you."

Revan nodded, but did not relax his guard. Looking over at the stranger, Revan noticed he had the same robes as the mage who had confronted him inside of Saarthal. _Well, certainly looks the part_ he thought as he walked towards the man. "You are from the Psijic Order?" he said to the stranger.

The man nodded. "I am. My name is Quaranir." He said, as the air around them turned blue. Revan immediately recognized that time had stopped in the same way it had in Saarthal. "Please do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm." Quaranir continued.

Revan's hand had subconsciously rested on the hilt of his dagger. "The whole time-freezing thing is not exactly the best first impression, impressive though it may be."

Quaranir smiled. "I'd simply like to talk to you, and I have given us the chance to do so privately. I'm afraid I can't do this for long, so we must be brief."

Revan relaxed slightly, but his hand remained on his dagger. "Alright, I suppose I will listen to what you have to say."

Quaranir bowed at this. "I'm glad you at least have an open mind. That will be helpful before long." He straightened up, his smile fading. "The situation here at your College is of dire importance, and attempts to contact you as we have previously have failed. I believe it is due to the very source of our concern- this object, "The Eye of Magnus", as your people have taken to calling it."

Quaranir began pacing in front of Revan. "The energy coming from it has prevented us from reaching you with the visions you have already seen. The longer it remains here, the more dangerous the situation becomes. And so, I have come here personally to tell you it must be dealt with."

"If this orb is so dangerous, why didn't you do something about it?" Revan asked.

Quaranir stopped pacing and looked at Revan. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. You must understand, the Psijic Order does not typically…intervene directly in events. My presence here will be seen as an affront to some within the Order, so as soon as we have finished I will be leaving your College. I am also aware that my arrival has attracted suspicion, especially in your Arch-Mage's advisor. Nevertheless, my Order will not act directly; you must take it upon yourself to do so."

Revan considered what Quaranir had said for a moment. "So it sounds like I don't have much of a choice. What must I do?"

Quaranir smiled again. "I'm glad you wish to help, as you may be the only one who can. Many in the Order believe that if the Eye remains here, it will be misused. We believe something will happen soon that cannot be avoided. Therefore, your efforts would be best directed towards dealing with the aftermath, whatever that may be." Quaranir looked around as the air around them began to slowly return to normal. "I fear I may have already overstepped the bounds of my Order, but I can offer this: seek out the Augur of Dunlain, here in your College. His perception may be clearer than ours."

"Who is the Augur of Dunlain? I've never heard of him." Revan said.

"He was a student here, but now he is something….different." Quaranir replied.

"And where might I find him?" Revan asked.

Quaranir shook his head. "I am unsure. He is within the College, that much I know. One of your colleagues must know where to find him." Quaranir closed his eyes. "I am sorry I cannot be of further help. This conversation requires a great deal of effot on my part." Opening his eyes, Quaranir continued, "Now, I'm afraid I must leave. We will continue to watch over you Revan, and guide you as best we can. It is within you to succeed, never forget that."

As Quaranir finished speaking, the air around them returned to normal fully. Revan looked around at Savos and Ancano, who had begun moving again. "I'm sorry, were you about to say something?" Savos said to Quaranir.

Quaranir looked at Savos. "I'm afraid there has been misunderstanding. I clearly should not be here. I shall take my leave." He said innocently.

"What?!" Ancano burst out. "You ask for a specific member of the College, I bring him to you, and now you simply want to leave without telling us why you came? What are you up to?"

"I am not 'up' to anything, mister Ancano. I apologize if I have offended you in any way. Now, excuse me." Quaranir said, walking out of the room.

Ancano looked at the door as it closed behind the monk. "We will see about this…." He growled, walking out the room as well, leaving Savos and Revan. Savos appeared to be deep in thought, stroking his beard.

Revan turned to look at Savos, who was studying the place the Psijic mage had just been. "Sir, are you alright?" he asked.

Savos looked up and gave a small smile. "Yes Revan, I am. I'm just trying to figure out what happened is all."

Revan nodded. "As am I sir." He paused to consider his next words. "Sir, do you know who the Augur of Dunlain is?"

Savos's smile faded as he stared at Revan. "Where did you hear that name? Has Tolfdir been telling stories again?" Savos shook his head. "I thought I made it clear to him that this is an inappropriate subject for conversation. Please do not allow him to discuss this further, am I clear?"

Revan was slightly taken aback by Savos' attitude change, but he nodded. "Perfectly clear sir. I'm sorry I brought it up."

Savos sighed. "I suppose it's not your fault. It's just, well, a rather touchy subject, and one I'd prefer not to get into right now. "

Revan nodded again. "Understandable sir. I think I'll take my leave now, if there's nothing else." When Savos didn't respond, Revan quickly backed out of the room and went back down the stairs. _Well, at least I have a lead now _he thought as he walked into the main hall.

He immediately noticed the giant orb floating in the middle of the room. _Wow, that is impressive. I didn't really get a good look at it down in Saarthal; that's certainly something _Revan thought as he approached the orb. He reached out his hand towards the orb, but keeping his distance to be cautious. As his hand got close, he could feel the pure magicka radiating off the surface. _What was this thing made to do? _

Looking around, Revan saw Tolfdir standing off to the side studying the orb. Revan walked up to him and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir?" he said, but Tolfdir appeared not to hear him. "Sir!" Revan said louder, causing Tolfdir to jump slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry my boy. I didn't notice you were there. This orb is simply fascinating. Anyway, what can I do for you?" Tolfdir said.

"I'm looking for the Augur of Dunlain, do you know where I might find him?" Revan asked.

Tolfdir's eyes widened. "Well, that's a name I haven't heard in some time. It's been years since I've spoken to him. I suppose he would still be down in the Midden. If you go see him, please tell him 'hello' for me, would you?"

Revan nodded. "I will sir. Where is the Midden?" he asked.

"Underneath the College. There is a trap door on the right-hand side as you leave the Hall of Elements. It's not the friendliest of places, so if you go down there, please be careful."

Revan nodded again. "I will sir. Thank you for your help." He said, glad to finally know where to go.

Tolfdir smiled. "It's no trouble at all. Happy to help." He said as he turned back to the orb, leaving Revan to contemplate his next step.

Knowing where he had to go, Revan walked out of the Hall and entered the dorms. He was about to open his door when an idea came to him. Leaving his room, Revan walked down the hall and knocked on another door. "Who's there?" a voice said.

"Your one and only friend in this world." Revan said with a smirk.

The door opened to reveal Tom. "Wait, you're not Onmund." He said with a laugh. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm going on a bit of an adventure, thought you might want to tag along." Revan said.

Tom started bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Oh really? You want me to come with you? Oh boy, I never thought this day would come!" he said excitedly, but dripping with sarcasm.

Revan shrugged. "Or I could ask J'Zargo or Onmund. They might be better company." He said, grinning.

"Ha ha, real funny Rev." Tom said, causing Revan to laugh. "Alright, I'm in. So where are we going?"

"Grab anything you think you'll need and meet me outside the Hall of Elements. I'll explain there." Revan said before walking back to his room. Once inside, he opened his wardrobe and pulled out his sword belt. He looped it around his waist and pulled the strap tight. Grabbing a couple of potions, Revan walked briskly out of his room and out of the dorms.

He didn't have to wait long as Tom soon appeared next to him. "Alright, all set. So, what's the plan?" Tom said, adjusting one of his boot straps.

Revan gestured for Tom to follow him. "Long story short, a mage from the Psijic Order came here looking for me. Apparently, they think something bad is about to happen, and that it involves that Eye of Magnus thing. We need to find out how to stop it. You in?"

"Revan, I'm hurt that you even had to ask. Let's do it. Where we going?" Tom said.

Revan pointed down to the trapdoor at his feet. "Down there." Revan grabbed the handle and pulled upward. The trapdoor creaked open, revealing a ladder leading down into a natural cave. "Coming?" Revan said as he descended the ladder.

Tom gulped. "Uh, yeah, right behind you." Shaking slightly, Tom bent down and grabbed the first rung of the ladder. The metal was freezing to the touch and felt very old. Taking a deep breath, Tom quickly descended the ladder, landing heavily at the bottom. "Piece of cake." He said, thrusting his hands into his pockets.

"Uh huh, right." Revan said, noticing his friends shaking hands. "You alright?"

"You know how I am in small spaces. They're not the most comfortable for me, so let's just get this over with." Tom said, summoning a small ball of light in his hand.

Revan nodded. "You got it. Come on, and stick close." He said, drawing his sword. The corridor they were in was very narrow, forcing them to walk single file through it. They emerged into a much wider chamber, several unlit torches lining the walls. A crumbling staircase led down to two iron gates, one of which was open. They moved cautiously down the stairs and over to the gate. Through the gate was a stone bridge, leading to another gate.

Standing in their way, however, was a draugr. Revan knelt down on one side of the gate, Tom right behind him. "Alright, I'll get its attention, and you hit with everything you've got. Ready?" Revan said.

Tom shook his head. "No, I've got another idea." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small scroll. "This is a good opportunity to try this out. A little something J'Zargo has been working on. Let's see if it works."

Standing up, Tom walked through the gate and whistled. "Hey, ugly! You look a little lost. Maybe I can help?" he yelled, clenching the scroll in his hand. The draugr turned, let out a growl, and lumbered towards Tom. As it got closer, Tom unrolled the scroll and began reading. The draugr had almost reached him, sword raised, when there was a loud bang. Both Tom and the draugr flew backwards, the draugr hitting the gate across the bridge, and Tom landing in a heap behind Revan.

"Tom!" Revan yelled as he rushed over to his friend. "Come on buddy, stay with me." He said as he pulled out a potion.

Tom opened his eyes slightly. "Tell J'Zargo that he gets to be blown up next time." He said weakly before accepting the potion. While he drank, Revan used what little knowledge he had in Restoration to help speed up the process.

"You'll be alright buddy, don't worry." Revan said as he focused the healing energies into Tom. "But I think you will feel this tomorrow."

Tom tried to laugh, but ended up wincing instead. "Oooh, don't make me laugh. But I think you're right."

After several minutes, Tom tried to stand up, unsuccessfully. "You're not going anywhere like that." Revan said, pulling out his dagger. "I'm going to continue on ahead. You stay here and rest. Take this." He said, handing the dagger to Tom. "I'll be back soon."

With a last pat on the shoulder, Revan straightened up and walked across the bridge and through the gate. Gathering part of his remaining energy, Tom summoned his familiar, who immediately began pacing in front of Tom. "I think I feel better now that you're here Leekos." Tom said, patting Leekos' side.

….

Revan stood before a large wooden door. Somehow, he knew that beyond it was the Augur of Dunlain. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the handle and turned. The door, however, did not budge. _Maybe it's stuck _he thought as he pushed harder. Still nothing. Putting his shoulder against the door, he pushed with all his strength.

"Your perseverance will only lead you to disappointment." Said a voice from behind the door.

Revan jumped back in surprise, holding his sword in front of him. "Who are you? Will you open this door?" he said, but there was no answer. Grabbing the handle once more, Revan slammed his shoulder against the door, but it still refused to budge.

"Still you persist? Very well, you may enter." The voice said again, this time accompanied by a click as the door slowly opened. Revan cautiously entered the room, gripping his sword in both hands. The room was circular, with what appeared to be a well in the center. As Revan stepped inside, the door swung closed.

The only thing inside the small room was what appeared to be a stone well. Revan suspected that this must be the famed Augur of Dunlain. As he stood before the well, a bright blue light suddenly appeared. "Approach." Said the same voice he had heard before.

Revan approached the glowing ball of light. "Who are you?" he asked tentatively, his hand on his sword hilt.

Nothing happened for several seconds, but then the voice spoke again. "I am that which you have been seeking."

The voice was deep, and Revan could feel it vibrating throughout his body. "You are the Augur of Dunlain." He said.

The voice spoke again. "Yes, I am the Augur of Dunlain. You took a risk coming here, but I'm afraid your efforts are in vain. It has already begun."

"What has begun? What is going to happen?" Revan said, fear growing inside him.

"Those who have sent you have not told you what they seek; what you seek. And so you come looking, but you do not know why. Like others before you, you blindly follow a path to your own destruction. The Thalmor came seeking answers as well, unaware that they will be his undoing."

_Thalmor? Is he talking about Ancano? What was he doing down here? _Revan thought.

The voice continued speaking. "Your path now follows his, though you will arrive too late. Your path differs from most however; you are being guided, pushed towards something. It is a good path. One untraveled by many. It is a path that can save your College. I will tell you what you need to know to follow it further. You, and those aiding you, wish to know more about the Eye of Magnus. You wish to avoid the disaster of which you are not yet aware. To see through Magnus' Eye without being blinded, you require his staff."

The light began to dim, slowly descending back into the well. "Events now spiral quickly towards the inevitable center, so you must act with haste. Take this knowledge to your Arch-Mage; he will instruct you further." As the voice finished speaking, the blue light vanished completely, leaving Revan in the dark again.

The weight of this new information weighed heavily on Revan. "Ancano was here, seeking answers to something. And the Eye will lead to disaster? Maybe it should have stayed in Saarthal." Revans said aloud. Pondering these new developments, Revan turned to leave the small room. He crossed the bridge quickly, remembering that Tom was still injured in the entry chamber. When he got to the other side, however, all he saw was a piece of parchment lying on the floor where Tom had been.

_Revan,_

_ J'Zargo heard an explosion down here; asked me to help him investigate. Found Tom recovering from injuries. Took him back to dorms. See you there. Onmund_

"Well, looks like I owe you a drink Onmund." Revan said as he put the note in his pocket and walked back to the ladder leading back to the College.

….

"Door's open." Said Onmund from the other side of the door. Revan opened it and stepped inside. Tom was sitting up on his bed, his leg lying on a pillow. J'Zargo was sitting in the chair while Onmund leaned against the wall. Brelyna was standing over Tom's leg, her hands glowing with Restoration magic.

"Hey buddy, glad you made it back in one piece." Tom said, smiling at Revan and gesturing him to come in the room.

"Don't worry about me; how's your leg?" Revan asked, concern in his voice as he moved next to the bed.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just landed on my ankle a bit too hard; I'll be fine in no time." Tom said with a wave of his hand.

"There, now just stay off it until tomorrow and you should be just fine." Brelyna said, straightening up. She looked at Revan. "Tom was telling us briefly about what you two were doing down in the Midden. What did you find down there?"

Revan recounted what the Augur of Dunlain had said, about an unknown disaster that would happen to the College, and how Ancano seemed to be wrapped up in it. He also told them about the staff the Augur had mentioned.

"The Staff of Magnus? I think I read about that once. It's supposed to be very powerful. The Augur didn't mention where it is?" Brelyna asked.

Revan shook his head. "No, he didn't tell me. He told me I should talk to the Arch-Mage; that he might know more."

"Well then, you'd better go see him before it gets too late." Tom said before cutting Revan off, "Don't worry about me. I'm going to be fine, but you need to let the Arch-Mage know about this right now. Go." Revan nodded, patted Tom on the shoulder, and left the room.

The sun was starting to set as Revan crossed the courtyard again towards the Hall of Elements. Entering the Hall, he was about to walk up the stairs to the Arch-Mage's room when he noticed Ancano pacing in front of the Eye of Magnus. As Revan watched, he saw that Ancano seemed to be muttering to himself. _Looks like the Augur might be right; Ancano is certainly acting suspicious _he thought as he quietly backed away and made his way up the stairs. He reached the Arch-Mage's door and knocked. Almost immediately, Revan heard, "Come in."

Revan entered and looked around for Savos, who was behind his desk once again. "Revan, good to see you again. What can I do for you?" he asked, putting down the quill he had be writing with.

"Sir, I've just been down in the Midden, speaking with the Augur of Dunlain. He told me something important; something he said I should pass on to you." Revan said.

Savos looked slightly surprised at what Revan said. "Is that so? I suppose you went and asked Tolfdir where to find the Augur after we talked?" Savos said, to which Revan nodded. "I thought as much. Well, what did the Augur say?"

Revan recounted what the Augur had said a second time, about the Staff and the imminent disaster. But this time, he carefully neglected mentioning that Ancano might be involved, as he had no idea of the relationship between the Arch-Mage and his Thalmor advisor. When Revan finished speaking, Savos was stroking his beard in thought.

"That is quite a bit of information to take in. You're sure he specifically mentioned the Staff of Magnus?" When Revan nodded, Savos continued, "Well, I'm very impressed with your initiative, even though I was initially against the idea of seeking out the Augur. Well done Revan. Someone will need to follow up on this, and soon I think."

Revan smiled. "You mean me, don't you sir?"

Savos smiled as well. "I do indeed. Since you've already gone this far, I feel you are the best one for the task." The smile faded from Savos' face. "Something as ancient and as powerful as the Staff of Magnus, I never would have thought we'd end up having to search for it."

Savos sat in thought for several seconds, still stroking his beard, before he stopped and sat up straight. "Wait, now that I think about it, I recall Mirabelle mentioning the Staff recently. She might know more about where you can look." Savos stood up and looked out of the window at the sun, which had almost set. "I sent her out on an important errand earlier today, so she won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. When she returns, ask her about the Staff; see if she can tell you more. For now, you look tired, and I'm sure you're worried about your friend. Go get some rest."

Revan was about to turn to leave when Savos spoke again, "Actually, there was something else I wanted to say." Savos walked over to one of his display cases and pulled out a small amulet. "I'm very pleased with your progress here at the College. You've proven yourself to be more than just a mere apprentice." Savos turned back and held out the amulet for Revan to take. "This was given to me when I was an apprentice, many years ago. It's helped me on more than one occasion. I'd like you to have it; perhaps it will help one day."

Revan took the amulet carefully and put it around his neck. Immediately, he could feel his magicka grow stronger. "Thank you sir, I'll take good care of it."

Savos nodded. "I'm sure you will. Now, get some rest. I think you'll need it soon."

Revan turned and left the room, leaving Savos to his thoughts. "Seems Quaranir was right; he is destined for great things. I just hope he survives long enough to do those things." He said to himself. Sighing, Savos sat down behind his desk and picked up his quill.

**Thank you all once again for reading, and for those who have added this story to their favorites list and for those who are following it, thank you all for your continued support. Now, onto the "contest" I mentioned:**

**I have plans to make this story into at least a trilogy; I already have plenty ideas to make it work. However, I need some input from you, my readers. The first thing I need is this: Tom is getting a little lonely in life, and needs a companion/lover. I was just going to make one for him, but I decided to open it up to you guys. So, if you are interested, please submit the following information to me, preferably though PM's:**

**Name (obviously, an Elder Scrolls-esque name makes more sense, but is not required)**

**Race (preferably no Dunmer, but will use one if its good enough)**

**Gender (does not need to be female)**

**Description (physical, mental, emotional, etc. The more you put, the easier things will be)**

**Fighting style (again, the more you put, the easier things are)**

**Anything else you think would enhance the character for writing purposes**

**The "winner" will be posted at the beginning of Book 2, and the character will be featured (obviously, or I wouldn't be asking for one). I will post when the contest is finished, so until you see that it's officially closed, feel free to send me any characters.**

**That's all for now everyone. I hope to have chapter 10 finished MUCH sooner than this one, but fair warning, it will probably be mostly filler. See you then!**

**-airofdarkness**


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